De Waterheuvel
The reception desk at De Waterheuvel
Sarphatistraat 43
1018 EW Amsterdam
tel: +31 20 - 626 46 42
fax: +31 20 - 63 88 551
e-mail: info@waterheuvel.nl
Opening hours :
Monday - Friday: 09.00 - 16.30
Wednesday: 15.00 - 20.30
To be reached by :
Tram 6, 7, 10, stop Weesperplein
Underground, stop Weesperplein
What is The Waterheuvel about?
The Waterheuvel is a clubhouse in Amsterdam, serving as a meeting-place
and safe place for people with a psychiatric background. It offers an
opportunity to meet people, to enjoy friendships and to do meaningful work.
By becoming a member, one makes a commitment to the clubhouse.
It offers a structured daily programme based on actual work necessary to the clubhouse to function. The Waterheuvel challenges its members - each in his own way and possibilities - to contribute, become part of the organisation and be of importance to it. Through the experience of doing meaningful work one gradually grows in selfconfidence and as a human being.
Staff and members co-operate in organizing, decision-making and the doing of meaningful work. Staff are no therapists and there is no treatment-relation between staff and members. There are no treatment-plans and no files. We do not ask after disorder or diagnose. Our clubhouse philosophy emphasises the talents and qualities of each individual, instead of his or her weaknesses.
Our starting point is a solid confidence in the healthy parts and capacities of each member and the fact that everyone can be a productive worker. The surprising effect of our model is that the explicit non-therapeutic approach has therapeutic consequences. After a while our members start to prosper and gain in self confidence. This is because they are consistently treated and responded to as an equal, not as a patient.
The clubhouse philosophy implies that valuable relations with others are instrumental in regaining selfconfidence and respect for oneself. In De Waterheuvel there are countless opportunities to form relationships with other members or staff. For example when coworking on a task, but also during the informal lunches, or the social and educational activities.
Almost every day about 45 people visit De Waterheuvel and we have 20 parttime staff members. The house is organised in 5 units: clerical unit, kitchen, reception, TE for job-rehabilitation/educationand the meeting place. All these units have their own educational courses, like text processing, internet, cooking, job application. Furthermore we have courses in social skills, first aid, yoga, textiles and drawing.
In the TE-programme (Stage Training Educatie Programma) members can acquire
job-skills outside of De Waterheuvel. At this moment about 60 members
work in a TE-job.
There are TE jobs in different places: at lunchroom De Buren, at restaurant Westerpark (local government building), at Home Service (a project for and by people with a psychiatric background where one can hire someone to do things in your house, for example painting a room) at the Warmline (a telephone line) and at the Blankenberg Stichting (where we have a courier and administration job).
In accordance with the clubhouse philosophy almost every meeting is accessible to both members and staff. Staff have no rooms or offices of their own - we have an open door policy.