Ambulatory child and youth psychiatry

De Hoop offers ambulatory child and youth psychiatry. Care is available for several types of problems. Clients may be no older than 18 years. De Hoop also offers help to families if children's problems cause serious family problems. Examples are:

• Autism
• ADHD
• Behavioral problems
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Eating problems
• Problems due to bullying
• Loss and grief
• Negative self-image
• Addiction

Our enthusiastic team of counselors consists of a child and youth psychiatrist, remedial educationalists and child and youth psychologists.

Aim
De Hoop's care for children and youth consists of diagnostics and treatment based on Biblical principles. Care is aimed at recovery and/or finding the right balance in the client's social surroundings, among other things. Help may be extended to parents or other caregivers.

View
De Hoop 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 people on their way to a new life.

Being or becoming a Christian is no condition for treatment at De Hoop.

Finances
Counseling sessions at De Hoop are paid for by the client's health insurance company. Clients do, however, need a referral letter from their GP, child welfare, mental health care institution or medical specialist.

Procedure and treatment program
The admission procedure and treatment program consist of the following components:

Application

• After referral (with referral letter)
• During telephonic consultation
• Clients aged 16 or over do not need their parent's permission
• After telephonic application: filling out of application form.

Screening

• In case there is no referral from child welfare: sending of inquiry form including a request to fill it out
• Returning of filled out inquiry form
• Discussion of application during screening consultations by De Hoop
• Decision to start treatment at De Hoop or referral to other institution.

Intake

• Invitation for intake session with counselor, parents and child (either together or separate)
• If necessary: further examination (such as counseling sessions, psychiatric or psychological examination, family evaluation or observation).

Advice and treatment plan

• Diagnosis and advice concerning treatment
• Parents: decision to follow advice or not
• Clients 12 years of age and older: client needs to give permission to start treatment.

Treatment

• Type of treatment and treatment goals recorded in treatment plan
• Usually: counseling sessions (just child, or including parents or the entire family)
• If necessary: additional help (psychiatric homecare, speech therapy or psychomotor therapy)
• Close collaboration with other child welfare institutions

Evaluation

• Duration of therapy depends on problems
• Frequency of counseling sessions: every week, two weeks or monthly
• Duration of counseling sessions: three quarters of an hour up to one hour
• Regular evaluation of treatment with child and parents

Parents/caregivers
We try to involve parents into the treatment of their children as much as possible. Parental involvement is a prerequisite in the case of young children. Parents can get involved by talking about their children's problems. This way, better care for the child becomes possible. When the child matures and becomes more independent, it is regarded in each case individually whether or not it is desirable for parents to be involved into their child's treatment. Parents may also be advised to use parent counseling.

The Medical Treatment Contracts Act (WGBO) determines several responsibilities of parents and children. Basically, it comes down to the following:

• Parents have complete authority over their children until they reach the age of 12. This implies that parents may sign their child's treatment contract.
• From age 12 to 16, parents and children have an equal amount of authority. Both decide over the treatment plan and need to sign it.
• From age 16, a child is considered to be a legal adult. He or she may decide over the treatment plan him/herself and sign the agreement.

Applying for treatment
De Hoop has an outpatient clinic for ambulatory child and youth psychiatry. This clinic processes applications for treatment and arranges counseling sessions. Application is possible only after a referral from a client's GP, child welfare, mental health care institution or medical specialist.

Outpatient clinic for ambulatory child and youth psychiatry De Hoop
Provincialeweg 70
3329 KP DORDRECHT
T. +31 (0)78 6 315 572
E. info@dehoop.org

Telephonic consultation service
If you want to know more about De Hoop's child and youth care, how to apply or how to make an appointment, please contact our telephonic consultation service:

• On Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11.00 am until 12.30 pm
• +31 (0)78 631 55 72
• E-mail: info@dehoop.org

Location of counseling sessions
Counseling sessions take place at De Hoop Village, Chris Building, Provincialeweg 70, 3329 KP Dordrecht.