Meet Tim, medical director and psychiatrist
“What I like about ADHDcentraal is that the role of the psychiatrist is very clear,” he said.
Can you explain what you do in the position of psychiatrist?
As a psychiatrist at ADHDcentral, you are instrumental in the diagnosis and treatment of our patients. Every course starts with the diagnosis day. On that day, the patient is fully assessed. Together with the multidisciplinary team, the psychiatrist assesses whether or not ADHD is present, performs differential diagnostics and analyzes whether there is psychiatric co-morbidity in addition to the ADHD. Is there a vulnerability to depression or is addiction or trauma in the foreground? Some patients are complex and have multiple vulnerabilities. Then we assess the best way to shape the treatment.
In the treatment phase, you work in multidisciplinary collaboration with the nurse specialist and the psychologist. The VS provides the drug treatment and is the director, the psychologist provides customized CBT treatment. After about 2 months there is an evaluation with the psychiatrist. There is consultation with the VS and the psychologist and you enter into conversation with the patient to see how things are going with the medication and comorbid problems. You make adjustments, evaluate the effect and possible side effects of the medication and sharpen the focus within the CBT where necessary. Together with the patient, you examine what is going well and whether there is something that could be improved. This is always puzzling, together with the team of psychologist and nursing specialist, and is of course very interesting!
Why did you choose to work at ADHDcentral?
Since September 2024, I have been medical director of ADHDcentraal. Before that, I was a psychiatrist at the Groningen location. The great thing at ADHDcentraal is that we all really want to get to the core on diagnosis day. It’s very much a ‘we’ feeling. That’s great! In regular mental health care, people sometimes end up in a waiting situation: they start with an intake and then have to wait a long time for the start of treatment. At ADHDcentraal, things happen quickly because the treatment starts immediately on the day of diagnosis. And working in an active and driven team, a team that immediately starts working with each other and for the patient. This is also great for the patient.
And I also have a great affinity for ADHD. I would really like to contribute to the improvement of ADHD care. They are also just the nicest people! What sparkling brains and what an infectious energy in the consulting room!
What superpower would you like to have that could be useful in your work at ADHDcentral?
We as psychiatrists, of course, would love to read minds. If I could do that, that would be really fantastic. If you could follow those thoughts all the way through that would be great.
What would you give people who want to apply for a job at ADHDcentral?
What I like about ADHDcentral is that the role of the psychiatrist is very clear. You have very short lines of communication with colleagues. You know what is expected of you and have a clear role within the team.
The working conditions are very favorable and you can often combine your work with your private life. More and more psychiatrists find this a relief; they were used to large institutions where you have no freedom to plan your own time. Also the fact that we are very good at removing administrative pressure makes psychiatrists like working with us.
A lot of people who work here have an affinity for ADHD, so if you think that’s a fun target group to work with, I cordially invite you to stop by.
Have you become excited about working at ADHDcentraal?