The Owl’s Nest

For professionals & organisations

The Owl’s Nest is the community workshop of Stichting IRADIS / ASK-Solutions in Haarlem North. In this technical workshop we combine making and repairing with structure, low-threshold contact and a calm way of getting moving again. We are not a mental health clinic and not a traditional day programme, but a small-scale, practical intermediate setting alongside existing treatment, guidance or education.

Our activities connect to domains such as technical research and development, occupational guidance and reintegration, preventive health care, ambulatory youth care, social work and local community work. On this page you will find information on how we work, for whom the workshop can be suitable, which conditions we use and what trajectories broadly look like.

What we offer in practice

At The Owl’s Nest we offer a calm, structured work environment where people can gradually practise with:

• travelling to a location on time and structuring a day (or part of a day);
• carrying out practical tasks in a technical environment (repairs, projects, simple production work);
• being in contact with others again without high social demands;
• taking responsibility for a workspace or project in a manageable way;
• (re)discovering their own skills, interests and strengths.

Technology is the means rather than the goal. We work with wood, metal, electronics, 3D printing and other forms of making, but always with the participant’s current load capacity, stress level and life context as the starting point.

For which clients and participants?

We work with young people and adults who, to varying degrees, are getting stuck in learning, work or daily functioning and for whom a practical, non-medical setting can be helpful. In practice this includes, for example:

• people who have dropped out of work or education (for instance after prolonged stress, overload or conflict at work) and who want to rebuild structure and routine at their own pace;
• people in recovery after burnout, a depressive episode or other major life events, for whom the step to full return to work or study is still too big;
• young people and young adults who are searching for their place, who struggle with traditional school or work environments and benefit from learning by doing in a small, predictable setting;
• people who feel socially isolated and need a low-threshold place to be among others again, without it immediately being experienced as “therapy” or a formal group intervention.

Most participants already receive support elsewhere (for example from a clinician, coach or reintegration provider) and use The Owl’s Nest as a practical setting for experience-based learning alongside that primary trajectory.

What we can and cannot offer (conditions)

The Owl’s Nest is a community workshop. We provide structure, practical guidance and a safe setting, but we are not a clinical facility or 24/7 care service. This means, among other things:

• Age

  In commissioned trajectories we generally work with participants from around 14 years of age. Younger children are welcome at open activities under the supervision of a parent, guardian or group, but this falls outside our individual trajectories.

• Basic independence

  Participants must be able to travel to the workshop independently (or be brought) and organise basic self-care and medication themselves or via their own support network. We do not provide physical or medical care.

• Medical and psychological care

  We do not provide medical treatment, crisis care or intensive psychiatric support. In situations with unstable psychiatric symptoms, suicidality or acute crises, the primary treatment team remains leading and our workshop is only appropriate as an adjunct when there is sufficient stability.

• Behaviour and safety

  Severe and persistent aggressive behaviour, active substance use on site or other behaviour that compromises safety in the workshop does not fit within our setting. In such cases we refer back to the primary clinician or referrer.

In the workshop we have extensive experience with people whose lives have been significantly impacted by adversity. It is not a problem if a participant has a need to name highly distressing or traumatic experiences; our more experienced, calm staff are not easily shocked and know how to listen, set boundaries and help someone return to the here and now. If someone is triggered in the workshop – for example by a memory, flashback or panic reaction; we take the time to de-escalate, reduce stimuli and, where necessary, contact their own clinician or key worker. In this way we remain within our role as workshop and partner alongside treatment, while handling what presents itself with care.

If you are unsure whether a particular participant fits our setting, we are happy to think along in an orientation meeting. We always look at the combination of person, support needs and the composition and capacity of the workshop at that moment.

What trajectories can look like

Trajectories at The Owl’s Nest are always tailored, but usually include the following components:

1. Orientation and intake

   An initial meeting with the participant and, where appropriate, a professional (coach, clinician, job coach). We explore the request for support, functional capacity, expectations and practical matters such as travel time and availability.

2. Trial period

   In a trial period we explore in small steps how someone experiences the workshop. This can start with short visits; for example an hour of observing, a tour, or quietly joining at the coffee corner. For those who find a group setting too much, this can also be one-to-one with one of the more specialised, calm staff or familiar faces at The Owl’s Nest.
   From there, if it feels appropriate, this can gradually develop into longer blocks and more active participation in the workshop.
   The duration of this phase (usually several weeks to a few months) and the frequency are aligned with the participant’s load capacity and the existing support. During this period we look at which tasks fit, which stimuli are too much and what level of support is needed.

3. Agreements on duration and frequency

   Together we agree how often someone attends, over what period, and which goals or focus points are central. We often work in trajectories of several months up to about half a year, with the option to extend in blocks if more time is needed. In longer collaborations we work with successive periods, each with its own set of goals and an evaluation point to decide whether continuation or adjustment is appropriate.

4. Activities and learning environment

   Participants contribute to existing projects in the workshop (for example repairs, small development projects, preparation of workshops) or work on their own project. There is room for a calm pace, explanation and a gradual expansion of responsibilities.
   In addition, we work with small practice assignments and short projects that support regulation and grounding: simple, quiet physical work, repetitive tasks and attention for what someone sees, feels and does. Through these safe, small-scale steps participants can discover what they enjoy doing and where their skills, talents or sources of motivation lie, without the immediate pressure of a performance or end product.

5. Feedback and evaluation

   We do not provide medical or psychological reports, but we can give focused feedback on what we observe in the workshop. Our more experienced staff can give oral and written impressions regarding attendance, load tolerance, work pace, cooperation, adherence to agreements and how someone responds to changes or stressors. We pay particular attention to patterns over time rather than isolated incidents.
   Evaluation moments are planned in consultation with the participant and referrer. Where helpful, we align with goals from the existing treatment or guidance plan. If we pick up signals of unsafe situations (for example possible child or partner abuse, serious boundary-crossing behaviour or other safety concerns at home, school, work or in the workshop), we discuss this carefully within the team and feed this back to the relevant professional. Where required we act in line with applicable safeguarding and reporting proceduresand the responsibilities of the referring organisation.

Practical day-to-day guidance in the workshop is primarily provided by experienced volunteers and staff members of Stichting IRADIS / ASK-Solutions. Where needed we coordinate with coaches and clinicians so that the workshop aligns well with existing trajectories.

Collaboration and partners

We work with a range of partners in and around Haarlem, such as coaches, small-scale care providers, neighbourhood and welfare organisations and funding bodies. In some trajectories we are formally part of a support plan; in other situations we act more informally as a practice setting or work-experience place.

Examples of partners include organisations focused on coaching and recovery, community work and social support. In addition, we seek connection with the municipality, education providers and employers in the region, so that participants can, where possible, move on to follow-up education, voluntary work or paid employment.

We do not take over the role of treating clinician or primary case manager, but complement that role. Clear communication and realistic expectations are important to us: we are honest about what is and is not possible in our workshop and we raise concerns if a situation is no longer a good fit.

Costs and trajectory arrangements for organisations

For individual visitors from the neighbourhood we work as low-threshold as possible, with donations and small contributions for materials. For formal trajectories commissioned by organisations (for example municipalities, care and welfare institutions, reintegration providers or schools) we use rates that are in line with a reasonable market level or with government/municipal funding frameworks, depending on the type of trajectory and the chosen funding route.

In general, the following applies:

• we usually work in hours or half days (morning/afternoon) with a fixed or flexible frequency;
• rates depend on the format (individual support, small group, one-off activity or longer trajectory) and the desired level of coordination/reporting;
• costs are, in principle, borne by the commissioning organisation, not by the participant;
• we are happy to think along about how our work can fit within existing budgets and schemes in the social domain.

Because each trajectory is different, we work with bespoke proposals rather than standard packages. In an orientation meeting we explore the request together, outline an appropriate format (for example number of half days and duration) and provide a clear indication of the costs.

Getting to know us and coordination

Would you like to explore whether The Owl’s Nest could be a suitable setting for your client, student, employee or target group? Then please contact us for an orientation meeting. This can take place at our workshop in Haarlem North or, if preferred, initially by telephone or online.

You can reach us or make an appointment via the contact page. We are happy to think along about what is feasible within our setting and how we can align with your trajectories and organisation.