Meet Tim, a psychiatrist
“What I like about ADHDcentraal is that the psychiatrist’s role is very clear.”
Can you explain what you do in the position of psychiatrist?
As a psychiatrist at ADHDcentraal, you play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of our clients. Every treatment process begins with a diagnostic evaluation day, during which the client undergoes a comprehensive assessment. The psychiatrist, together with the multidisciplinary team, assesses whether or not ADHD is present, performs differential diagnosis, and analyzes whether there is any psychiatric comorbidity in addition to the ADHD. Is there a vulnerability to depression, or is addiction or trauma the primary concern? Some clients present complex cases and have multiple vulnerabilities. In such cases, we assess the best way to structure their treatment.
During the treatment phase, you’ll work as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside the nurse practitioner and the psychologist. The nurse practitioner oversees medication management and serves as the lead clinician, while the psychologist provides tailored CBT treatment. After approximately 2 months, there’s an evaluation with the psychiatrist. You’ll consult with the nurse practitioner and the psychologist and meet with the client to discuss how the medication is working and how the client is managing any comorbid issues. You’ll make adjustments, evaluate the medication’s effectiveness and any side effects, and refine the focus of the CBT as needed. Together with the client, you assess what is going well and whether there is anything that could be improved. This is always a bit of a puzzle, worked out together with the team of the psychologist and the nurse specialist, and is, of course, incredibly interesting!
Why did you choose to work at ADHDcentraal?
The great thing about ADHDcentraal is that we’re all truly committed to getting to the heart of the matter on the diagnostic day. There’s a real sense of “we” here. That’s wonderful! In traditional mental health care, people sometimes get put on hold: they start with an intake and then have to wait a long time for treatment to begin. At ADHDcentraal, things move quickly because treatment begins immediately on the diagnostic day. And we work in an active and driven team—a team that gets to work right away, both with each other and for the client. That’s also very nice for the client.
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 ADHDcentraal?
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 ADHDcentraal?
What I like about ADHDcentraal is that the psychiatrist’s role is very clear. You have very direct lines of communication with your colleagues. You know what’s 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.
Are you excited about working at ADHDcentraal?