De Waag

We care for your safety

De Waag is an outpatient forensic mental health clinic. We provide specialist care for people who exhibit or are at risk of exhibiting inappropriate or criminal behaviour and have a mental illness. People come to de Waag for a wide variety of reasons. Some come on a voluntarily basis, while others are referred by their GP, the police or the justice system, for example.

Mission

Our mission is simple: we care for your safety. We do so by offering bespoke services for every client. We use the latest proven treatment methods. During treatment, practitioners work with the client to prevent inappropriate or criminal behaviour. They also engage with the client's partner, family members and other relations. In doing so, de Waag offers clients and those around them a brighter outlook on the future.

Risk assessment

Treatment at de Waag focuses on safety and preventing new criminal behaviour. That's why we always start with a risk assessment. This risk assessment then leads to an individual treatment plan. Next, we start working toward positive goals. We explore what it will take to achieve them, and what might get in the way.

Integrated care pathways

De Waag offers four integrated care pathways:

• Domestic violence
• Aggression and crimes against property (for which we are TOPGGZ accredited)
• Sexual misconduct
• Adolescents and young adults (ages 12 to 23)

Each client will embark on a bespoke journey within one of our integrated care pathways. Working with integrated care pathways guarantees and improves the quality of our care.

Admission to de Waag

To start treatment at de Waag as a client, you need a referral from the Probation Service or from your GP or another doctor stating that specialist mental health care is required. Clients cannot self-refer to de Waag. To be admitted, clients must have forensic mental health needs. In other words, on top of psychological problems, the client must also exhibit or be at risk of exhibiting criminal or inappropriate behaviour.

de Waag offers several routes for young people and adults to be admitted. For young people, the admission process for 'care financed by the municipal authority' is different for every region or branch of de Waag.

Information for clients

An interpreter can be arranged for people who struggle with Dutch. The associated costs will be passed on to your health insurance company or the justice system.

If you would like to know more about what treatment at de Waag involves, how often you need to come here, whether your partner can come with you, and who we share information about your treatment with, you can read more about de Waag and our approach here.

For adult clients

Your first visit

You may be a little nervous about your first visit to de Waag. Don't worry, there's no need to be! Our practitioners treat everyone with respect and are fully committed to working with you to implement change. We start by taking stock of your situation. Next, a team of experts will discuss whether de Waag is the right place for you.

Your treatment

When you start treatment at de Waag, we tailor everything to your personal needs. We will draw up a treatment plan together that fits your situation. Many people come to de Waag once a week to start with. Further along their treatment journey, they may need to visit less often. For some therapies, appointments take place every two weeks or once a month, for example. A treatment plan consists of a series of conversations, but your treatment may also take longer, up to several months. Exactly how long your treatment lasts will depend on your situation and the number of therapy sessions you attend. When you're in therapy for sexual misconduct, the treatment process usually takes longer.

What your treatment involves

Most therapy sessions consist of conversations. These may be one-on-one conversations with a practitioner, or conversations in a group setting. Individual sessions usually last 45 minutes, and group sessions last an hour and a half. During these conversations, we will work with you not only to prevent criminal behaviour, but also to solve problems on a deeper level.

Confidentiality of information

The practitioners at de Waag have a duty to keep everything you tell them confidential. That means they are not allowed to share information about you with others, such as your employer. Only the people who referred you, such as the justice system, and your GP receive information about your treatment. There is one exception: if you pose a danger to yourself or others, we are obliged to report this to the competent authorities.

Your family

In cases involving domestic violence, it can often be helpful for your partner to come to de Waag as well. This can be especially important if you intend to stay together or want to continue caring for (your) children. Even so, your partner's wishes are the deciding factor. If you have children, they can also be involved in your treatment. First and foremost, we want to create a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable.

How to apply for treatment at de Waag

You can apply through a referrer, such as your GP, someone at the Probation Service, the police or a healthcare facility. The referrer will call a branch of de Waag to explain why you are being referred as a client. You will then receive a written invitation, usually within two weeks, for an intake interview at de Waag.

For young people

If you're starting treatment at de Waag soon, you probably want to know what to expect: what we can do for you, who we share information about you with, and how often you need to come. We'll run you through the answers to the main questions below.

Why do I need to go to de Waag?

Most of the young people who come to us have been referred by the youth protection system, their GP or the police. In many cases, this will be because they have done something that is not allowed, or because they are at risk of getting into trouble. Sometimes, they may have trouble focusing, get angry easily, use drugs, or struggle to listen properly to others.

What happens at de Waag?

You will be invited to an initial conversation: your 'intake' interview. During this interview, we will look at your situation together. Your parents or guardians will also attend this interview. Next, we work with a team of practitioners, such as psychologists and psychiatrists, to see if we can help you and which treatment is right for you. Most treatments involve conversations. Sometimes, these will be one-on-one conversations with a practitioner, and other times, they may be conversations in a group with other young people. We will talk not only about what you've done, but also about how you got to that point. We will then sit down together to look at how you can prevent repeating this behaviour in the future.

Who will get information about me?

What you discuss with us usually remains secret. That means we don't share information about you with others without good reason. We do update your GP, your parents or the police about how your treatment is going. We simply tell them briefly how things are going, and what the goals of your treatment are. If you are a danger to yourself or others, we are obliged to report this.

Do my parents need to come to de Waag as well?

Yes, your parents or guardians will always be involved in your treatment. They will attend the initial interview, and are regularly invited to any conversations that follow. We talk to them about how things are going, but we only share what you want us to share. You and your practitioner will decide together which things you would like to discuss with your parents, and which things you would prefer not to. If there are other people who are important to you, we may involve them in treatment as well. Doing so can help improve your treatment journey.

How often do I need to come, and how long for?

Most young people come to de Waag once a week. This may be for a meeting with your practitioner or for a group meeting. A conversation with your practitioner lasts about 45 minutes, and a group meeting lasts an hour and a half. The exact length of the treatment differs from person to person. We will tell you early on how long we think your treatment will take. Treatments usually lasts between six months and a year.

What else you need to know

De Waag is a place where you'll work with practitioners, not the police or the justice system. We won't punish you, we don't give advice, and we don't judge you. You come to us because someone referred you — such as your parents, the police or the justice system — because they believe we can help you with your problems. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals. However, if you don't stick to what we've agreed, we do have a duty to report this to the people who referred you. But we don't do this to punish you. We simply want to help you move forward in a positive way.

Contact and branches

De Waag has twelve branches in:

• Almere
• Amersfoort
• Amsterdam
• The Hague
• Dordrecht
• Gouda
• Groningen
• Haarlem
• Leiden
• Rotterdam
• Utrecht
• Zaandam

Our contact details can be found on our website under 'Contact'.