"Reprehensible" workers fired over relationships with Almere psychiatric center patients

The Oostvaarderskliniek in Almere has dismissed two employees for their "reprehensible" conduct, saying each was carrying on an inappropriate relationship with a patient at the psychiatric clinic. The clinic is operated by the Judicial Institutions Agency (DJI), and also treats prisoners sentenced to institutionalized care. The workers fired last month had an “non-professional relationship” with a patient getting treatment as part of a court sentence, the DJI confirmed on Monday.

The most recent firing regards a worker a freelancer, and the DJI terminated their contract with immediate effect. The agency did not say in what department they worked, only that their contract was terminated on June 16. "After a report of a possible non-professional relationship with a patient, further investigation was conducted, at which point the suspicion was confirmed," the DJI stated.

That happened only five days after another of the clinic’s employees was dismissed for the same reason. In this case, too, the DJI spoke about a “non-professional relationship” with a patient. The individual was not identified as a freelancer, and was fired on June 11 after the agency's Integrity Office carried out an investigation.

Aside from in-patient services, the Oostvaarderskliniek has an outpatient service for its patients who do not reside at the location. It was not immediately clear if the dismissed workers were visiting patients at their homes, or treating patients on site at the forensic psychiatric center.

An employee was fired for similar reasons in April. The clinic has recent history of scandals involving employees engaged in inappropriate behavior with patients, and allegations of sexual violence dating back to 2022.

Separately, the DJI said it was still investigating the suspicious death of an individual who was being treated at the facility. A “suspicion of substance use” was linked to the June 21 death, which is still under investigation.

It was the second suspected overdose death of a patient at the clinic in a short time. Another individual was pronounced dead at the Almere facility on May 1.

The Oostvaarderskliniek has outpatient services for the Flevoland region, and houses patients convicted by a criminal court and sentenced to mandatory psychiatric treatment in a TBS facility. Additionally, the Almere clinic also treats adults referred by law enforcement because of addiction, mental illness, or other psychological issues