As a volunteer at De Regenboog Groep, you don't just drink coffee with your participant. The work you do, big or small, is always part of a bigger picture.
This time we will discuss Inforsa. This organization is part of Arkin, a large umbrella organization that includes all kinds of organizations that deal with mental health, addiction and more: from Jellinek to Mentrum or Roads, you've probably heard of them.
We have an appointment with Lise, psychologist at Inforsa's forensic outpatient care
.So. That's quite a mouthful! So what does that mean effectively?
"It means that people are in our care if people have been in contact with the justice system or there is a risk that they will commit crimes. If a judge thinks there are multiple problems that need to be solved besides just punishing someone, they come to us through the probation department.
Sometimes someone has never done anything, or has never been caught, but they come to us for treatment through the mental health department and family doctor. We look at the bigger picture and what causes someone's behavior. We also have no exclusion criteria: all people who have a problem with police and justice or have a risk of delinquent behavior are welcome with us. The similarity is the contact with justice or the risk of it, but the causes are always different and we're going to find that out for each person and that's what I really like about this work."
Where do volunteers from De Regenboog Groep come into this story?"
"It is often the case with this group of people that their social network is very limited: they have few positive contacts, few supportive contacts. Whether this is an ex-user who only knows other users or someone who lives in an environment where committing crimes is normal. If there has ever been a positive social contact, it is often social workers, and sometimes there has been a whole series. So a few years ago we started a study to investigate whether positive social contacts lead to better recovery. And we're doing that together with De Regenboog Groep. And that's really unique, this has never been done like this in the Netherlands."
A first! Do all your clients qualify for it?
"No, we did manage to create a profile after a very instructive pilot. The important thing is that the client is stable, and yes, does he or she need it themselves? Does this person want to get to know someone to do some fun or positive contact with? Is someone motivated to work on his or her situation? This is often less obvious than it might seem. It also asks quite a lot of people: to cooperate in this research for a year and a half in addition to the contact with the volunteer.
Lise from Inforsa: "The nicest thing is that we notice that very beautiful stories arise and special encounters. People who normally would never meet."
Okay, so we are quite groundbreaking together! How are the reactions from your participants?
"We find that it can be quite challenging to bridge the gap with your volunteers. We have noticed that it is quite exciting for our target group. But when it works, we do see that it is very valuable and that people really look forward to the arrival of the volunteer. What's great is that the lines of communication are very short between De Regenboog and Inforsa. We have weekly contact and this allows us to explain to our clients what is happening. They often have no idea what an 'ordinary person' can bring them. They often only know social workers and often come from an environment where nobody can be trusted. That there are people who want to give something back to society or just want to do something good and help another person is not obvious to them. It is important that we give them time and don't immediately give up if they don't show up a few times."
When you put it that way, there are quite a few similarities between our organizations...
"Yes I really like that too, although in the beginning we had to get used to the differences in approach: professional care and informal care. I like that we find each other in our common goal: we want to solve problems and look with an open mind at people with complex problems. And ultimately it's about making contact."
The nicest thing is that we notice that beautiful stories and special encounters arise. People who normally would never meet. Not only do clients take steps towards society, but with De Regenboog volunteers, society also takes a step in their direction. We bring worlds together."
Becoming a volunteer at De Regenboog, or a real, Aardige Amsterdammers who actually helps? Look here!