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For Wong, finding a job is no easy task.文件倉 Over the past five or six years the 44-year-old has worked intermittently on several jobs, including one as a security guard. Currently unemployed, he has hit a recurring cycle of obstacles when trying to join the workforce. Wong's deep dark secret? He is schizophrenic. His first episode was in his early 20s. Wong usually doesn't tell a potential employer about his episodes. "But I would get one while at work and the employer would find out and fire me. Then I can't put the job on my resume and it becomes even harder to find work." The conventional medical definition of having a mental illness is to exhibit symptoms identified by a psychiatrist using their clinical experience and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. If we see recovery as the reverse of this definition, then a person with mental illness can only be said to have recovered if they no longer show symptoms - a concept that is too narrow for Samson Tse Shu-ki, associate professor of social work at the University of Hong Kong. "Although someone may be on medication and their symptoms are not completely under control, they can still have a meaningful life," he said. Mike Slade, professor of health service research at King's College London, wrote a paper on mental health recovery with Tse and seven other international researchers. He said there are many reasons why people stigmatize those with such an illness. "One factor is the wish of the community or for society to be a safe and predictable place and the willingness of the mental health system to take on a role in meeting this societal expectation," Slade said. "And perhaps most importantly, the lack of recognition until recently that stigma against people experiencing mental ill-health is a social justice issue, not a clinical issue." A career option for those who have experienced mental illness is to become a personal service worker, or PSW. They can use their own experience to counsel others going through something similar. Plus their experiences are seen as an asset rather than a liability. Tse did a study on a project where 18 people who had recovered from mental illn存倉ss were trained for six weeks. They then completed a 24-week internship at Warmline - a peer support hotline - where they mentored users of community mental health centers in Tsuen Wan and North District over the phone. "PSWs provide empathy, hope, positive role-modeling through self- disclosure, and practical advice for solving everyday problems that health professionals may lack if they do not have a personal experience of mental illness," Tse said. The sector is relatively underdeveloped, with only four non-profit organizations, funded by the charity Mindset, offering PSW training and employment opportunities. For those recovering from mental illness and looking for other types of work, another community-based initiative that may offer a lift during the slow and daunting process of job hunting is Radio I Care. The Cantonese online radio station was established in 2010 by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. The more than 80 programs put out on Radio I Care focus on a variety of mental illnesses. The station has about 1,800 listeners. Community-based initiatives such as PSWs and the radio station are especially important in providing extra support because the supply of public mental health services is low compared with demand. "Research has shown that in a typical public mental health service, on average, both psychiatrists and patients have the impression that they only have about five minutes together," said Rici Lik Chee Chang, specialist in psychiatry at MindPro Psychological Medicine Centre. The Hospital Authority Mental Health Service Plan for Adults 2010-15 pledged to hire case managers to help those with severe mental illness that were suitable for being treated in the community. "Case management is a great move but the workload is far too heavy," Tse said. A case manager from one of eight districts was expected to handle over 60 cases on average as of March 2012. He added that hope - inspired by community-based initiatives - alone is not sufficient to make the leap to recovery. "It has to be supported by polished life skills, support, good access to services and equal opportunities for work, education and housing." apple.lam@singtaonewscorp.com 儲存