Carelinks Cadre Chairman, Chief Inspector Gilbert Wong, is inviting Force members, who are ready to serve with their hearts and to stand by their peers in need of help, to join the Cadre as "Carelinkers".

The Psychological Services Group (PSG) set up the Carelinks Cadre in July 2005. Exemplifying the spirits of "Care", "Linkage" and "Esprit de Corps", the Cadre is composed of Force volunteers and disciplined and civilian members at all ranks, who are, as "Carelinkers", promoting positive living in the Force, helping build a caring Force and rendering peer support to Force members.

The Cadre has started recruiting more volunteers for the vision of "making the Hong Kong Police a caring workplace". Officers appointed as "Carelinkers" will help Force members enhance their psychological well-being through a wide range of peer support services such as self-development groups for Recruit Police Constables at the Police College, stress management workshops and sharing sessions for different units, etc. The Cadre is also planning to expand peer support services, including setting up a Peer Support Hotline for Force members and responding to critical incidents in the capacity of "Critical Incident Peer Supporter" to assist PSG in critical incident stress management.

With police work getting increasingly complex and stressful, there is a need for officers to enhance their psychological functioning with peer support and to turn work stress into a motivation for their work. Dr Edmond Lau, the Police Clinical Psychologist and the Vice-chairman of the Cadre, said PSG and mental health professionals would provide for newly recruited "Carelinkers" training on basic psychology, peer counseling skills, mental health knowledge and critical incident stress management, etc.

Two briefing sessions will be held in PHQ Multi-Purpose Hall on January 3 and 5, 2008 to introduce the services of the Cadre and answer questions about recruitment. Selection of "Carelinkers" will be conducted in March 2008. Recruitment details have been posted to the Force NoticeBoard. Application form can also be downloaded from Carelinks Cadre webpage [http://www.carelinker.hk].

"There is no shortage of officers within the Force who are committed to promoting the well-being of their colleagues. I hope they would come forward to help Carelinks Cadre achieve its vision of making the Hong Kong Police a caring workplace," said Chief Inspector Gilbert Wong.

Carelinkers visit recruits at the Police College