De Kiel: clinic for child and youth psychiatry

De Hoop is expecting to open its clinic for child and youth psychiatry De Kiel ('The Keel') in the beginning of 2009. De Kiel offers care to childeren aged 4 until 18 with serious psychiatric and mental health problems.

De Kiel is aimed at treatment of:

• Threatened development of personality (character deformation)
• Autism spectrum disorders (like PDD-NOS, Asperger's, and autism)
• Eating disorders
• Psychotic disorders
• Emotional disorders (like anxiety disorders)
• Mood disorders (like depression)

Goal
Treatment at De Kiel has a maximum duration of nine months. The desired goal is to place children and teenagers with serious psychiatric or psychological problems back into their parental homes.

View
De Kiel offers treatment from a Christian view on man and a Christian view on psychological and psychiatric problems. This Christian view is derived from De Hoop's main mission: helping children start a new life.

Being or becoming a Christian is no condition for treatment at De Kiel. We do, however, want the Christian identity of the clinic and the treatment program to be treated with respect.

Eligibility
Admission to De Kiel is eligible for children:

• Aged 4 until 18
• With serious psychiatric or psychological problems
• With a threatened development of personality (character deformation)
• With autism spectrum disorders (like PDD-NOS, Asperger's, and autism)
• With eating disorders
• With psychotic disorders
• With emotional disorders (like anxiety disorders)
• With mood disorders (like depression)

Another criterion is that admission is necessary because the home situation has become evidently intolerable.

De Hoop will refer children to another program in case of:

• An IQ of <84 (relative counter indication)
• A large distance between clinic and home address (relative - although it is possible in theory to place children from all over the country, a geographical distance between De Kiel and home that is too large may affect the quality of care)
• A physical handicap (relative)
• A lack of conscience
• A behavioral disorder
• Antisocial behavior
• Delinquency
• A sensory handicap (relative)
• Problems relating to remedial teaching and youth care
• Addiction

Please note that De Hoop looks at each situation individually in order to decide whether De Hoop can provide the care necessary or whether De Hoop has to refer the client to another institution or clinic.

Treatment program
De Kiel offers a complete care offer, meeting all the child's needs for help. Treatment is intramural, which means that round-the-clock care is offered.

Treatment
Treatment consists of several components, including:

• Individual treatment - each child has a personal coach and treatment plan concentrated on his/her needs
• Milieu therapy - group life
• Parent counseling - counseling and possibly therapy for parents, aimed at restoration of the relationship between the child and its home environment
• Group therapy - group programs focusing on the social-emotive development of the child.

Applying for treatment
De Hoop will be opening an outpatient clinic for children soon. Here, people should apply for treatment at De Kiel

Role of referring parties
Referring parties may do the following while putting forward and monitoring clients:

• Providing official referral letters
• Providing preliminary care
• Motivating clients
• Providing interim care (during waiting period)
• Collaborating in aftercare

Information for parents of admitted children
Parents of children admitted to De Kiel receive parent counseling. Parent counselors keep parents informed about their children's treatment.

Visiting arrangements
Clients of De Kiel may receive parents and other family members during weekends and possibly on Wednesday afternoons, but by appointment only. In time, it might be possible for clients to go home on weekend leave.

Items to bring along
Before admission, clients will receive a letter mentioning the things they need to bring along for their stay at De Hoop. Most important are items necessary for daily care as well as clothes.

Compulsory education

• Education is compulsory for children until they turn 18
• De Hoop makes sure that cluster IV education is possible, or makes a request to be exempted from compulsory education
• Education is also part of the client's treatment program

Finances
Treatment at De Hoop is paid for by the client's health insurance company.

What else is asked of clients?
We also demand the following from our clients:

• Referral letter from GP or health care organization
• Motivation
• Willingness to go for it during treatment
• No objections against the Christian identity of our employees and the treatment program

Location
De Kiel will be located at De Hoop Village, Provincialeweg 70, Dordrecht.

Contact Information
De Hoop Foundation
Provincialeweg 70
3329 KP DORDRECHT
T. +31 (0)78 6 315 572
E. info@dehoop.org