neuroCare Group Groningen is a small institution within mental health care (GGZ), for both generalist mental health care and (medical) specialist mental health care.

In the north of the country we have become a benchmark for the application of neuromodulation techniques (such as rTMS and neurofeedback) within the context of a psychotherapeutic approach to mental health problems.

The neuroCare Group Groningen occupies a special position among the mental health care institutions and psychology practices in the Northern Netherlands because of our vision on psychological health and the related expertise. Within our institution, a personal approach is paramount. This also applies to our treatments, which are entirely tailored to someone’s individual needs. At the same time, we are a modern, innovative and renowned institution that offers a wide range of new and proven effective treatments. For example, the institution was one of the first in the Netherlands to apply neurofeedback as a treatment method (1998). Since then, we have developed a great deal of expertise in this area, particularly with regard to ADHD and autism. Also in the field of other treatment programs such as ACT, CBASP, Mindfulness, rTMS and heart coherence training (HCT) we are pioneers. Characteristic for us and certainly compared to other small institutions, is our very wide choice of treatment options. From our care program we can use all these angles to come to a customized treatment, – simple if possible, complex if necessary – with the aim of: more self-confidence and more personal effectiveness in study, work, relationships and in the realization of personal values. In addition, you can expect us to be knowledgeable, passionate about our work and to show commitment to our clients. This is precisely why we want to be a small institution: we like short lines of communication and personal contact in which the interests of you are paramount. To support our services, the institution has a fully-fledged laboratory with advanced, high-quality neuropsychological, psycho-physiological and neurophysiological research facilities.

You can register with neuroCare Groningen by means of a BGGZ or SGGZ referral from a general practitioner, company doctor, psychiatrist, medical specialist or specialist geriatrics doctor. You can also register without a referral, but the costs of the appointment and the possible subsequent treatment process are entirely at your own expense. A BGGZ / SGGZ referral is mandatory if you want to claim (partial) reimbursement from your health insurer.

As soon as we have received the referral or your registration, we can schedule you for an intake interview. Waiting times are displayed in the paragraph waiting times.

Registration without a referral is possible by contacting the secretariat by telephone or by sending an e-mail. In the latter case, we advise you to avoid privacy-sensitive information as much as possible, for example by only using the following subject line “request an intake interview by 06- ………… .. (your 06-number)”. If you choose to register by e-mail, we will contact you as soon as possible after receiving your message.

Would you like to recieve more information before arranging a referral? Then you can also contact the secretariat.

During the intake interview with the institution, you will be informed about the working method, treatment options, rates / reimbursements and about the waiting times. At the same time, this contact is used to gain insight into the problem or complaints for which you are seeking help.

Waiting times are updated monthly (status 14/06/2022).

The first actual contact with you will take place during an intake interview. If it concerns insured care, you must be in possession of a referral letter from your general practitioner, company doctor or psychiatrist. If a request for help is in line with our treatment options, it is usually decided to make a follow-up contact. If a request for help does not match our treatment options, we will look for more appropriate help in consultation with you or you will be referred back to your referrer/general doctor.

The purpose of the intake interview is to carefully map out the request for help. In the case of Specialist mental healthcare, an extensive (neuro-) psychological examination is sometimes also carried out, whether or not in combination with a neurophysiological examination (QEEG).

The data collected are then discussed in our team meetings. The team will then decide on a treatment proposal that matches your request for help as closely as possible. You will then be informed in detail about this “tailor-made treatment” and what it can do for you (working method, duration, costs and frequency of contacts).
Treatment can start after you have agreed to the proposed treatment. The treatment will be carried out as agreed in the treatment plan. The course of the treatment will be recorded in your file. You have the right to inspect, copy and correct your file. As a rule, the duration of a treatment is a maximum of one year. The course of the treatment will be evaluated regularly with you. If necessary, the treatment plan will be adjusted in consultation with you.

Our centre is experienced in helping:

• Children
• Adolscents
• Adults
• Elderly

with the following conditions:

• Depression
• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
• ADHD / ADD
• Autism
• Sleep problems
• Concentration problems
• Learning difficulties
• Anxiety
• Trauma
• Personality disorders
• Attachment issues
• Burn-out
• Occupational complaints

neurocare Clinics has contracts with Zilveren Kruis, Zorg en Zekerheid, CZ group, VGZ, Menzis and DSW in 2022.

If a child or adolescent goes into therapy, this is usually done in consultation with the parents or caregivers. If a child is younger than 12 years, the parents are closely involved in the treatment. The parents are then competent to make decisions regarding the treatment. If the age of the child is between 12 and 16 years, the legal representative (parent/guardian) gives permission for the treatment. From the age of 16, a client makes his or her own decisions. The parents will only be involved in the treatment if the young person agrees. When a young person has a mild mental disability and is not capable of will, then his parents are forced to be able to act as a legal representative and to give permission.

In principle, your referrer will be briefly informed about your diagnosis, treatment plan and the outcome of your treatment. You have the right to view the institution’s correspondence with your referrer. However, you can also indicate that you have objections to correspondence between the institution and your referrer. Under no circumstances will information be provided to third parties about your treatment until after your written permission.

Quality control
neuroCare Groningen has an approved quality status.
With its own quality statute, the requirement of the Quality of Healthcare Institutions Quality Act is further specified in which the institution will be obliged from 1 January 2017 to provide a clear allocation of responsibilities in order to be able to offer responsible care.
The status is available for inspection at the site and can be requested from the secretariat if required.

ROMs and questionnaires
ROM stands for Routine Outcome Measurement. In fact, that is an opinion about the treatment or the effect of a treatment, measured using questionnaires. This in itself can make a very useful contribution to the success of your treatment. At the same time, this is also a requirement imposed on us by health insurers.
At the start of your treatment, possibly in the interim and at the end of your treatment, we will take a questionnaire that you can complete on your computer at home.
At the end of the treatment contact we also complete a satisfaction questionnaire, which can also be completed on the computer at home.

Mental health professionals (GGZ) are required to have a reporting code. The obligation to establish a reporting code is included in the Care Institutions Quality Act. A reporting code states how to act in the event of suspicion of child abuse and domestic violence.

neuroCare Groningen strives for optimal cooperation between the institution and its referrers. These referrers are usually general practitioners and / or their POH-GGZer. In the upcoming year, the institution will invest more energy in optimal cooperation with referrers through direct contact. The institution supplies both basic GGZ and specialist GGZ. This means that a transition from basic care to specialist care and vice versa, clear and transparent, can possibly be achieved.

neuroCare Groningen is affiliated with the following groups:

• Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen (NIP)
• Landelijke Vereniging van Vrijgevestigde Psychologen en Psychotherapeuten (LVVP)
• Vereniging voor Cognitieve Gedragstherapie (VcGT)
• Nederlandse Vereniging ter Bestudering van Pijn (NVBP), tegenwoordig ‘Dutch Pain Society’
• International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR)
• Nederlandse Vereniging voor groepsdynamica en groepspsychotherapie (NVGP)
• Nederlandse Vereniging voor de Gezondheidszorgpsychologie en haar specialismen (NVGzP)

Consumer Council
As a neuroCare Group Groningen client, you can influence the policy of the organization and the quality of care that clients receive. This influence is regulated in the Employee Care Institutions Clients Participation Act and is exercised by a client council. The client council consists of (former) clients of neuroCare Group Groningen. Family members can also be members of the council. Members can join in the discussion about matters that are important to clients.

WMCZ
In 1996, the Employee Care Institutions Clients’ Participation Act (WMCZ) was adopted. This law prescribes that every care institution should have its own client council and that this council has a right of advice on certain policy matters.

What does a client council do?
A client council in a care institution takes care of the interests of patients (clients).
The client council is a serious discussion partner of the directors and / or management and represents the interests of all patients by exercising influence and checking the policy of the care institution.

Special rights
To be able to properly perform your duties as a client council, the Employee Participation Act (WMCZ) assigns special rights to a client council. For example, the WMCZ has a survey, information and advice right.
This means that directors and management are obliged to timely inform the client council about certain subjects, for example about planned reorganisations or about financial matters.
They are also obliged to provide requested information and to ask the client council for advice or approval on specific subjects.

In the event of reorganisations, directors / management must ask the client council for advice. The directors / management must first consult with the client council about the plan before it can be implemented.
If the client council has objections to the proposed plan (because it is unreasonable) then directors and management must change the plan so that the client council can agree with it.

Increased advisory rights
On other subjects, such as the introduction of a new complaints procedure or an adjusted regulation in the field of care, the client council has a reinforced advisory right.
This means that the management may not implement the plans without the consent of the client council.
In certain cases and situations, the client council has no or very little influence. The client council does have advisory rights regarding the consequences on the quality of care due to changes in the organization.

The client council and treatment agreements
Finally, it is important to know that the client council has no influence on the agreements made in the context of the treatment itself.
These agreements are made by the practitioners and the patients themselves.

Meeting
The client council meets four times a year, and it also meets at least twice a year with the management of Brain Dynamics Groningen. The meetings are public, so you can attend the meeting as an audience member (non-member of the council).

Members
The client council was established on 1 May 2013. We are currently recruiting members for this client council. The goal is to come to a council of 3 members. At the moment there is room for 2 new members. Hereby we would like to point out to our (former) clients the vacancies in the client council.

For more information you can contact Mr. Ben Reitsma through the secretariat.
With your questions or remarks about the organization you can go to the e-mail address of the client council: [email protected]