Secretary for Labour & Welfare Matthew Cheung has opened Hong Kong's first integrated community centre for mental wellness which can serve 450 patients.

The centre provides education, training, counselling and outreach services, and will liaise with the Hospital Authority for urgent medical consultations.

Opening the centre today, Mr Cheung said a pilot one-stop integrated service launched in March last year in Tin Shui Wai to enhance support for former mental-illness patients and their carers.

Given the wide public acceptance and support for the new model, he said $70 million has been allocated this financial year to expand the integrated service model to all districts.

"The manpower at these centres will also be increased to tie in with the [authority's] Case Management Programme to provide timely and appropriate support for patients with severe mental illness living in the community.

"Also an additional $6 million has been set aside to recruit 14 additional psychiatric medical social workers to support [the authority's] Recovery Support Programme for newly discharged psychiatric patients."

The Social Welfare Department and the authority have bolstered communication at both the central and district levels, and collaboration with non-governmental organisations and related organisations has also been boosted.