Kids forced onto mental health treatment waiting list

Crisis centers for children with serious behavioral problems, such as suicidal tendencies or psychosis, are over crowded and these kids often have to wait too long for the much needed help.

This is according to several youth care providers in Dutch newspaper AD on Monday. According to the care providers, these problems can largely be attributed to the transfer of youth care to the municipalities on January 1st. "The operation of that is not yet optimal in many places, so kids do not end up with the right help", a spokesperson for Youth Care Netherlands told the newspaper. "Eventually they end up in the crisis centers."

The crisis centers manage to take in these kids by placing extra beds or referring them to other providers, but warn that if they don't receive extra funds soon, accidents will happen.

The situation is "dire", according to Robert Vermeiren, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry and director of patient care Curium LUMC. He told the newspaper that they often receive calls from centers and institutions in other parts of the country, looking for places for young people they have no room for.

Yulius, an institution for child and youth psychiatry in Dordrecth, is currently running at 110 percent capacity, director Ronald Buijs told the newspaper. "The municipalities in Zuid-Holland-Zuid have even announced an admission stop. Absurd! These children are a risk to themselves and their surroundings. You can not turn them away."

According to the Association of Dutch Municipalities, they are not aware of any admission stops, but are looking into the problem.