192 | Social Welfare
batterers who may either participate in the BIP voluntarily, or are compelled to receive treatment as required in their probation orders. At year-end, 33 groups comprising 267 batterers had received treatment.
The SWD also increased the number of teams in the Family and Child Protective Services Units (FCPSUs) from eight to 11 during the year. In addition, eight more psychologists were employed to strengthen the service. An additional Clinical Psychology Unit will be set up in the first quarter of 2008 to provide more accessible service for residents in Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long and Tuen Mun.
In addition, the SWD stepped up public education, training and district liaison work to tackle increasing domestic violence. Support services rendered by the Family Crisis Support Centre and the four Refuge Centres for Women were enhanced and the number of places for people seeking residence in these centres was increased from 172 to 180. Furthermore, a new Multi-purpose Crisis Intervention and Support Centre (the CEASE Crisis Centre), commenced phase one of its operation in March. 2007 to serve victims of sexual or domestic violence and individuals or families in crisis or distress. It operates a 24-hour hotline and provides outreaching/crisis intervention services and case consultations under phase one and will provide short- term accommodation services in phase two. It adopts a coordinated approach in collaboration with multi-disciplinary professionals in providing its services.
Employment Assistance for Single Parents and Child Carers
The SWD commissioned NGOs to launch a 30-month Enhanced New Dawn Project in October 2007 to help single parents and child carers on the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and whose youngest child is aged between 12 and 14 to better help themselves, avoid social exclusion and move towards self-reliance through engagement in paid employment. The operating NGOs provide all project participants with ordinary employment assistance services such as updated labour market information, job-related and non-job-related counselling, job matching, and post-placement and other supportive services. Participants with no or limited working experience are also provided with intensive employment assistance services including basic skills and job skills upgrading training to enhance their employability. By year- end, 2 659 people were participating in the project.
Employment Assistance for Able-bodied Unemployed Youth
To help long-term CSSA able-bodied unemployed youth aged between 15 and 29 return to the workforce or mainstream schooling, the SWD commissioned NGOs to continue running the Special Training and Enhancement Project (My STEP) for two years from October 2007. In addition to personalised career counselling, non- employment related counselling and other supportive services, participants are provided with structured motivational/disciplinary training to help them enhance their self-image, self-confidence and sense of responsibility. The project also interfaces with the Youth Work Experience and Training Scheme administered by the Labour Department to provide participants aged 15 to 24 with opportunities to gain work experience through job attachment. By year-end, 216 unemployed youths were participating in the My STEP project.
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