Social work in Hong Kong was established in the mid-twentieth century and remains emergent. Within human service settings, multidisciplinary collaboration is often impeded by medical dominance, professional stigma, and rigid hierarchical structures that can result in social workers experiencing disempowerment and low morale. This qualitative study aims to understand the perspectives of healthcare professionals in Hong Kong to enhance multidisciplinary collaboration and team effectiveness. Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 34 professionals from frontline and management levels. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and the findings highlighted that need-driven strategies such as need-fulfillment support and supervision, peer-learning opportunities, non-hierarchical communication platforms, and the strength-based mindset can promote collaboration and empowerment, offering guidance for social work organizations in addressing complex social challenges in Hong Kong's multidisciplinary settings. Future research could explore the role of organizational policies and leadership in promoting a supportive working environment and strength-based work culture. In Hong Kong's evolving social service landscape, multidisciplinary teams often face challenges such as professional stigma, medical dominance, and rigid hierarchies that hinder effective collaboration. This study explores how need-driven strategies can support positive team dynamics and professional empowerment. Drawing from focus groups with 34 social service and healthcare professionals, the research identifies practical approaches that enhance teamwork such as supportive supervision, peer learning, open communication channels, and a strength-based mindset. These strategies not only improve morale among social workers but also foster more effective and inclusive collaboration across disciplines. The findings offer valuable insights for organizations seeking to improve service delivery and staff well-being in complex, high-pressure environments.

Background Play Intervention for Dementia is a practice initiative using play to help people living with dementia (PWD) experience engagements, autonomy, and cognitive stimulation. This program was developed under a participatory paradigm, with extensive contribution from formal and informal caregivers. This article describes how caregivers contributed to the practice principles, materials, and assessment during the development phase of Play Intervention for Dementia through community-based participatory research (CBPR). Methods Three service supervisors, 16 formal caregivers and 14 informal caregivers from the community participated in this study. Based on CBPR, the study progressed in a reflexive, iterative and collaborative way. Data were collected from diverse sources, including practice journals, observation notes and reflexive focus group interviews. Two trained qualitative researchers conducted thematic analysis on the data collected, with focus on practical skills, outcomes, and caregivers' general experience during the intervention. Results The therapeutic and liberating power of play was thoroughly discussed by the caregivers. They considered play as an innovative way to understand, engage, and connect with the PWD. Also, improvement in energy level, motivation and communicative capacity was observed among the PWD. The researcher and caregivers collaboratively refined and designed the protocol of Play Intervention for Dementia, adding localized principles and games to the original design. Conclusion Caregivers found play to be a meaningful way to engage with PWD, as it provided an equal platform for them. The intervention also enabled them to reflect upon ageing and disease at a deeper level. Caregivers have contributed significantly to the refinement and contextualisation of the intervention. The efficiency of the refined program should be further tested on a larger scale.

7‐11 November 2010, Tenth International Congress on Drug Therapy in HIV Infection, Glasgow, UK

Astronaut families are those in which one or both parents spend much of their time in Hong Kong or Taiwan, leaving their satellite adolescent children to complete their education in Canada. Very little is known about the experiences of these children. For this exploratory study, interviews with 68 satellite children living in Toronto were examined using thematic analysis and the software program — NUD-IST. Three meta-themes emerged, concerned with ethnic identity development, the socially constructed character of immigrant adolescent experience, and the salient role of time in their adjustment to resettlement. Practice/policy implications are discussed.