As part of practice competence, mental health workers should be able to take a critical stance in understanding and analyzing the policy contexts that affect their practice. The first half of the course will provide a general understanding of selected social policies in Hong Kong. It will also offer students an understanding of certain policy analysis frameworks. The second half of the course focuses on critically examining policy issues relating to mental health care. Topics such as policy trends in mental health care, legal contexts of mental health care, stigma and discrimination, rights of persons with mental illness and etc. will be explored. Overseas examples in mental health policies will be used for comparison.
