Newlife - A Brief Introduction to New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association

There is no shame being mentally ill. If given adequate support and proper help, people with mental illness can certainly find their way to reaching their full potentials and leading fruitful lives. With this in mind, staff at New Life advocate for equal opportunities for people with mental illness, seek to enhance their quality of living and work towards building an inclusive society.

New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association is a non-profit making non-governmental organisation aiming at providing a comprehensive range of quality community-based rehabilitation services for people with mental illness. We serve more than 7,500 service users every year, catering for their residential, vocational and social needs.

The Association operates 33 service units across Hong Kong, including 11 halfway houses, aftercare service, 2 long stay care homes, 2 hostels for the moderately mentally handicapped, 4 self-financed supported hostels/housing, 3 industrial sheltered workshops, 1 agricultural sheltered workshop, 2 integrated work centers, 1 supported employment service center, a marketing team of supported employment service and 7 integrated community centers for mental wellness. In addition to direct services, the Association operates the Jockey Club New Life Institute of Psychiatric Rehabilitation which aims at providing mental health education for the general public and specialised training for professionals in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation.

Starting from 1994, the Association has been playing a pioneer role in developing diversified social enterprises to provide work and training opportunities for people with mental illness. Currently, we are running a total of 18 social enterprises including: retail business – New Life Healthy Living Specialty/ Organic Shops, New Life Gourmet (Shek Pai Wan), New Life @ Lantau Link, New Life Convenience Stores and RWB 330; catering business – New Life Restaurants, New Life Gourmet (Kowloon Tong), Teresa New Life Coffee Shop, Café 330 and New Life Catering Service; other businesses include Eco-tourism of New Life Farm, cleansing services, property management and direct marketing.

The Association’s operating expenses are largely financed by government subventions, grants from the Community Chest of Hong Kong and generous donations from private companies and the public.

Vision

We strive for equal opportunities and full participation of people with mental illness with the ultimate goal of their full integration and acceptance in the community.

Mission

Through our dedication, training, research and new initiatives, we deliver quality community-based psychosocial rehabilitation services aimed at maximising the abilities of our service users, developing their potentials and improving their quality of life with the objective of integration into the community.

Aims and Objectives

To establish and operate hostels, sheltered workshops, farms, clubs and various projects on a non-profit making basis in which people with mental illness and the mentally retarded may obtain free of charge or on moderate terms temporary residential facilities, vocational training, sheltered employment, recreation and activities calculated directly or indirectly towards their rehabilitation and betterment.

History

The New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association was formed in 1959 by a group of people with mental illness under the name New Life Mutual Aid Club. The organisation was formally registered with the authorities in 1961 and reorganized in 1965 under its current title.

The Association was incorporated under the Companies Ordinance Act in 1968. The Association joined the World Federation for Mental Health in 1969, becoming a member of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in the same year and a member of the Community Chest of Hong Kong in 1970.