THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
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Peer Support Community

Welcome to our Peer Support Community! This is a supportive community where a group of dedicated and trained students serve as Peer Companions (PCs) to support, encourage, and provide companionship for fellow HKUST students, both in-person and through the Online Peer Support Community.

 

Through the years, PCs have organised various activities to promote mental wellness, combat stigma, foster inclusive conversations to raise awareness and encourage early help-seeking within the HKUST community. Stay tuned for our upcoming initiatives!

Getting Peer Support Online

The Peer Support Community is an inclusive online platform for HKUST students to connect with empathetic peers, share emotions, enhance their understanding of mental wellness, and cultivate a sense of belonging and resilience through a supportive network. Students can join this community to start a conversation with PCs through 1-on-1 chat, and have access to the Wellness Toolkit and Short Posts prepared by PCs for learning and revisiting psychological knowledge and self-care skills anytime, anywhere!

 

The Community can be accessed via web browsers or mobile apps. For convenient access, after successful registration, you can download "Mighty Networks" mobile apps, find and add the "Peer Support Community" within it. Grasp the opportunity to foster friendships and navigate your university journey together in a safe and welcoming environment!

Peer Support and Outreach

 

      Social Media Outreach

  Mental Wellness Outreach

 

                   Get-together

                 Peer Sharing

 

                 JUSTalk Café

                TrUSTalk Circle

      Exam Support Initiatives

Invited Peer Chat Sessions

 

Be a Peer Companion

The Peer Companion Training Program (友伴同行 - 科大朋輩支援訓練計劃) invites all undergraduate and postgraduate students at HKUST to join the one-year program. 

 

Prior to the commencement of peer support and outreach, new PCs would undergo extensive training to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge required to offer support to their peers. In addition to face-to-face sessions, the Program leverages the same online platform "Mighty Networks" to establish an interactive training community, offering new PCs access to skill-training videos and other essential knowledge. These online resources enable PCs to access them anywhere, anytime, at their fingertips and according to their own pace.

 

If you want to equip yourself with skills to provide peer support and contribute to the mental wellness in the HKUST community, click HERE to apply to be a Peer Companion. The application period for academic year 2024-25 runs until 27 Oct 2024 (Sun). Shortlisted applicants would be invited to interview in November 2024.

 

Peer Companions (PCs) are expected to fulfil a one-year commitment, which starts with an orientation in late December 2024, comprehensive training and practicum from December 2024 to March 2025. Upon completion of training and practicum, PCs would be invited to provide Peer Support and Outreach throughout the year. PCs are also expected to have a reasonable level of commitment in various events.

 

 

 

2024

 

Orientation and Teambuilding

Late December  

 

 

 

2025

 

Comprehensive Training on Peer Support and SEN awareness                                                  

January 

 

 

Practicum

 February - March

 

 

Exam Support Initiatives and Invited Peer Chat Sessions

April - May

 

 

New Student Welcoming

September

 

 
Campus-wide Festival October 

 

 

Exam Support Initiatives

 November - December

 

 
Orientation and Peer Sharing for New PC Cohort Late December (Senior PCs)

 

 

 

On top of the above signature Peer Support and Outreach, PCs would be invited to provide other Peer Care sessions, including but not limited to TrUSTalk Circle and Social Media Outreach on need basis, and subject to PCs availability.

 

Upon completion of one-year commitment, PC graduates can be promoted to Senior Peer Companions and receive supplementary training and continue their Peer Care sessions, including but not limited to TrUST Bench, JUSTalk and Social Media Outreach through the Peer Companion Enhancement Program (友伴同行 - 科大朋輩支援延伸計劃).

Recognition for Peer Companions

To recognize the hard work and preserve a sense of belongings among the group of dedicated Peer Companions (PCs), you may find them wearing our T-shirts (PCs) and Hoodies (Senior PCs) around the campus. As student leaders and active contributors of enhancing mental wellness in the HKUST community, PCs are eligible to apply for additional hall points and scholarships to further enrich your life at HKUST.

We rise by lifting others.

Robert G. Ingersoll

Why are counseling services private and confidential?

When students decide to meet with a counselor, they need sufficient emotional support to manage their life adversities and mental health concerns. A student may be going through stressful experiences, traumatic life events, fear of judgement and an emotional roller coaster ride of mental health symptoms. They may feel embarrassed, vulnerable or a sense of shame, and may be reluctant to share their private feelings and secrets if they do not feel safe and comfortable in the counseling environment. It is of utmost importance for a counselor to gain trust from a student and build rapport with them to ensure the effectiveness of counseling/psychotherapy. Sometimes, the discussion may involve substance abuse, sexual activity, and concerns about other behaviors that might violate the student conduct code.

Counseling/psychotherapy is considered confidential to protect students’ personal experiences and the therapeutic relationship. Nevertheless, there are exceptions that confidentiality would not be upheld, particularly if the counselor is significantly concerned about the safety of student or someone else that the student is talking about.