The Rif-project delivery of psychiatric care to Dutch-Moroccan migrants in Morocco during summer

Abstract

The Department of Transcultural Psychiatry (TCH) of the Regional Institute for Mental Health Care (Riagg) Rijnmond, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, set up an outreaching program, the Rif-Project, in response to the need for adjusting mental health care services to a more diverse and mobile client population while containing costs. In the past, TCH observed a decline in mental health status in Moroccan clients following their stay in Morocco, which was linked to uncoordinated eclectic health care consumption in Morocco, the pursuit of personally more acceptable diagnoses, somatic checkups or medication, and the occasional use of (stress-inducing) traditional healing methods. Rif-Project is based on the assumption of providing continuation of care to its Moroccan clients who spend their summer months in Morocco, through strategic positioning of TCH care-deliverers across the kingdom. Their activities include the continuation of the treatment program that was initiated in the Netherlands, visiting clients in their preferred environment and system, psycho-education and preventive activities. By monitoring their clients health care consumption, coordinating services in collaboration with local institutions, treatment interventions and psycho-education, TCH-workers were successful in providing and maintaining stability to their clients, which reduced the incidence of deterioration and crisis.