If you have had help from an organisation in the Netherlands, you can share your experiences here. Examples of such organisations are: Council for Refugees, (Women’s) Refuge Centres, Social Work, Youth Care and Mental Healthcare (GGZ) organisations, etc.
Hui:
I would like to share my experience about getting assistance from a Dutch social worker. Since 6 months a Dutch social worker has been helping me to read various letters from the Dutch government, filling in forms, etc. At every appointment she was very polite and concerned about how things were going with me, but she forgot about the things that were important to me. I needed her to explain more about the rules, laws and what rights I had. For example, about applying for benefits, she said “That is possible,” but did not explain what kind of benefits I was entitled to, what consequences it entailed in my situation, etc. After each appointment, I became more confused, I had no idea which direction to go and I felt generally lost. Often I discovered through others that there could be different aspects to the problem. When I came to her with my question / problem, I felt that she actually understood my request for help. It was only a shame that she did not give me any suggestions or further information to provide me a basis for consideration of what I was going to do.
Coincidentally, I spoke to her colleague once. Her colleague was completely different from my social worker. Within a very short time he explained everything about what I wanted to ask, what I did not know and what I did not understand. This gave me the feeling that I had found direction for my actions and what steps I could take. He explained everything clearly until I understood. This conversation was very useful to me. I also gained more self-confidence. That is why it is recommended that you find the right person (person with the right skills) to help you if you have problems. If the help comes from the right person, it saves you a lot of energy and time. “
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