FAQ

Experts from ARQ Centrum '45 regularly participate in meetings discussing the subject of psychotraumatology, such as conferences or seminars for professionals in the field. For an overview of special days/events, please go to the Events Calendar on the home page. However, no special meetings are organised for (potential) clients about ARQ Centrum '45 itself. If you need more information about the organisation or would like to ask specific questions, please feel free to phone or e-mail: arqcentrum45@arq.org. 

People who have been through overwhelming experiences need support and understanding. Usually, their experiences are so bad that it is hard to grasp what they have been through. Support and understanding can be expressed best by "being there" for someone. On the whole, you are advised against lengthy, detailed conversations; those are already held with the therapists. It is important to show understanding and be sympathetic towards the experiences this person has had, their current problems and the treatment s/he is receiving; it is equally important to support the person concerned in their everyday life. Further, adhere as much as you can to normal daily routines. Try not to be taken up with life’s bad things only; distractions, activities and relaxation are essential.

ARQ Centrum '45 regularly organises open days for the partners of patients admitted to the clinic. The other units, too regularly give attention to the partners and, equally, to the children of the patient who is receiving treatment. If you have any questions on this matter, please get in touch with the therapist.

ARQ Centrum '45 is a national specialist centre. This means that people from all over the Netherlands are eligible for treatment at ARQ Centrum '45. Once you have registered and had an intake interview, it is decided whether treatment at ARQ Centrum '45 is necessary or whether treatment can be carried out elsewhere, in your own environment. If necessary and if so desired, your family doctor, for example, may consult with ARQ Centrum '45 by phone as to the different treatment methods.

The term ARQ Centrum '45 employs is 'post-war generation'. This includes the children of people who were traumatised during WWII. This group of patients is a target group of ARQ Centrum '45 that has received official government recognition. The grandchildren or great-grandchildren of those directly traumatised are not treated at ARQ Centrum '45 since they have neither experienced complex psychotrauma nor were they raised by a parent who (has) lived through WWII. That is not to say that they do not have any complaints; however, their diagnosis falls outside of the range of problems treated at ARQ Centrum '45. Yet if they themselves suffer from complex psychotrauma complaints – due to other (violent) situations – they might be eligible for treatment.

At the start of your treatment, a treatment plan is drawn up together with you; this details which treatment you will be given and what it is meant to achieve. This will be evaluated with you on a regular basis. In addition, you will annually be asked to fill in a broad, general questionnaire that among other things measures the level of your complaints. This, too will be discussed with you as it ties in with your treatment plan.

At the completion of your treatment, a trajectory for follow-up care is always arranged. Upon leaving the clinic, you may be offered a follow-up trajectory in the day clinic or in the outpatient clinic. After treatment in the day clinic, treatment contacts in the outpatient clinic may be arranged for you. Or, the decision may be for you to receive follow-up care in your own environment. In some cases a specialist social worker or psychiatric nurse is called in to provide follow-up care because we want to make sure that you receive follow-up care from someone who is sufficiently knowledgeable about your problems. Arrangements for follow-up care are made by you and your therapist at the time of your completing treatment at a unit.

The website of ARQ Centrum '45 itself does not offer any facilities for clients or ex-clients to get in touch with each other. However, there is a great number of websites of specific client groups that do offer this possibility.

ARQ Centrum '45 has a number of criteria to assess whether someone can or cannot be accepted for treatment. For one thing, the psychotrauma complaints need to originate in events experienced during times of persecution, war and violence; here, violence should be taken to mean: job-related violence, riots, disasters, attacks and kidnappings. For another, your living conditions need to be such that they will enable effective treatment of the consequences of your trauma. These could include the quality of your social network and your preparedness to share experiences with others during a group session.
On occasion, treatment at ARQ Centrum '45 is neither possible nor desirable. Then, we together with you and your referrer will find a suitable alternative for you. That could be another institution, such as a mental healthcare institution in your own area, a specialist therapist or another form of care.

As of 1 January 2008, treatment at ARQ Centrum ’45 is paid for through the health insurance standard package. You are always advised to contact your own health insurance company for the latest information on this.