EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Mind-Spring

Mind-Spring - The Netherlands

Introduction

In cooperation with a number of asylum seekers and Medische Opvang Asylum seekers (Organisation for the Medical Care of Asylum Seekers), GGZ Dijk en Duin has developed a two-part programme. For one, asylum seekers and refugees will be helped with their problems by receiving psycho-education and psychosocial support. Secondly, the asylum seekers and refugees will be trained to provide psycho-education and to support psychosocial support groups.

Problem

How can asylum seekers and refugees be helped with their psychological problems?

Description

Asylum seekers and refugees that have experienced a difficult period often have psychological problems. Offering professional help that takes their culture and situation into consideration is necessary. The Mind-Spring programme was set up to facilitate this. Asylum seekers and refugees are trained in giving psycho-education. The added value of these trained asylum seekers and refugees is their knowledge of the language, culture and specific situation.

Approach

The problems of the asylum seekers and refugees were discussed during the group meetings. They were informed about the problems that are caused by stress, depression, trauma, uprooting and acculturation, loss of achievements achieved in their own country and day-to-day worries at an asylum seekers’ centre. For more serious problems, they were referred to seek professional help.

The psycho-education and psychosocial support groups were supervised by especially trained asylum seekers and refugees, the Mind-Spring Trainers. They teach the courses along with a GGZ professional. The added value for the trained refugees or asylum seekers is the free participation in professional training, gaining work experience within the health sector and developing a network. This increases their opportunities in the labour market.

Results

Mind-Spring increases self-confidence and lowers the threshold for needy asylum seekers and refugees to seek professional help.
Participants are very positive about the meetings. They discovered their potential for gaining more control over the situation.
Trained asylum seekers greatly value that they can use their knowledge, experiences and skills for this project.
Trained refugees gain work experience in the mental health sector and develop a network.
Once Mind-Spring is implemented at an asylum seekers’ centre or in a municipality, it has an enormous draw for the target group.
In total, 45 participants have followed the short course to become a trainer.
Mind-Spring increases their opportunities in the labour market.
The following step is to make the training and the Mind-Spring psycho-education courses available to a wider target group.

Contact info

GGZ Dijk en Duin
B. Uitterhaegen, tel. +31 75 6814450

Project start date

31/12/2002

Links

GGZ Dijk en Duin (Dutch)

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Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Health