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This thesis explores the lived experiences of disadvantaged young people in their journey toward self-actualization, as well as how participatory research can contribute to this. It is centered around three PAR-projects and builds on a care ethical and participatory action research design. The participants are young people (n=98) who are in one way or another care-dependent: children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), girls in secured facilities who had experienced or were at risk of sexual exploitation, and young adults with developmental language disorder (DLD). In each study, the participants iteratively reflected their experiences and needs for their daily lives as they also created awareness how society can be more responsive to this. The participatory dialogues revealed that disadvantaged young people feel that others do not take them as they are, as they constantly have to adjust themselves to be accepted (identity politics). Furthermore, they also feel they have to act different to get the care that they need (care politics). They need to magnify their capabilities to get opportunities for self-actualization and to magnify their disadvantages so they can be acknowledged as ‘care-dependent’, a prerequisite to receive professional support. They call for more space to be who they genuinely are and to get the care that is adjusted to their needs. Overall, I bring to the attention that young people need—and deserve—a multipolar society that provides spaces for their personal capabilities, needs and perspectives, where being normal stands for being unique. This is a step toward combatting stigma that causes young people’s feeling of embarrassment and their hard work to be acknowledged, accepted and valued as important citizens in society. I make a plea for societal and government authorities to treat young people as serious partners in the shaping of such landscapes of care with equal opportunities for active and authentic societal participation. An ideal w

Research question/problem definition This thesis is a philosophical study into the nature of the practice of supervisory boards in care institutions in The Netherlands. I do so from the perspective of ‘practical wisdom’ (phronesis) as coined by Aristotle. The main question of this thesis is: what is wise supervision? What will become apparent is that albeit this is a thesis on supervisory practice, it has a much wider scope. As supervisory practice is oriented to so many organizational and societal aspects, it is also a thesis on governance, institutions, management and ordinary caring practices in civil society in general. The question is explorative: what happens if we reconceptualize supervision as practical wisdom? I have no hypothesis that is tested in the ‘real world’, but rather I install a specific interpretation that sheds light on the practice that has remained in the background in previous research on supervisory work. Relevance The role and position of the supervisory board in Dutch civil society organizations, such as in health care or education, has been discussed intensively but narrowly in the past decade. This narrow view consists of a focus on quality and risk management, corporate governance, professionalization and value-oriented approaches. In this narrow view there is a permanent quest for certainty, unambiguity, clarity and simpleness. This quest paralyzes the debate and practice of governance, and possibly also that of care itself. We need a perspective on supervisory boards and governance that takes ambiguity and equivocality of care and organizing as a point of departure. Theoretical framework The theoretical perspectives in this thesis vary widely. The first overarching theory is from Schön on the reflective practitioner and the difference he makes between the ‘safe high grounds’ and the ‘swampy lowlands’. A second overarching theory is about the difference between system world and lifeworld, and the quest for ‘purpose’. The specific theor

Research question/problem definition This thesis is a philosophical study into the nature of the practice of supervisory boards in care institutions in The Netherlands. I do so from the perspective of ‘practical wisdom’ (phronesis) as coined by Aristotle. The main question of this thesis is: what is wise supervision? What will become apparent is that albeit this is a thesis on supervisory practice, it has a much wider scope. As supervisory practice is oriented to so many organizational and societal aspects, it is also a thesis on governance, institutions, management and ordinary caring practices in civil society in general. The question is explorative: what happens if we reconceptualize supervision as practical wisdom? I have no hypothesis that is tested in the ‘real world’, but rather I install a specific interpretation that sheds light on the practice that has remained in the background in previous research on supervisory work. Relevance The role and position of the supervisory board in Dutch civil society organizations, such as in health care or education, has been discussed intensively but narrowly in the past decade. This narrow view consists of a focus on quality and risk management, corporate governance, professionalization and value-oriented approaches. In this narrow view there is a permanent quest for certainty, unambiguity, clarity and simpleness. This quest paralyzes the debate and practice of governance, and possibly also that of care itself. We need a perspective on supervisory boards and governance that takes ambiguity and equivocality of care and organizing as a point of departure. Theoretical framework The theoretical perspectives in this thesis vary widely. The first overarching theory is from Schön on the reflective practitioner and the difference he makes between the ‘safe high grounds’ and the ‘swampy lowlands’. A second overarching theory is about the difference between system world and lifeworld, and the quest for ‘purpose’. The specific theor

This dissertation examines the development and implementation of a new care model in Dutch forensic psychiatry called Forensic High and Intensive Care (FHIC). FHIC aims to foster the transition from control-based care to contact-based care in forensic psychiatry. A new care model in acute psychiatry, High and Intensive Care (HIC), serves as an example. By analogy, Forensic High and Intensive Care (FHIC) has been developed for forensic psychiatry. However, the question is how the HIC model can be translated to forensic psychiatry. To gain insight into this, three research questions have been formulated: A. What can be learned from complex situations at HIC wards? B. What are the characteristics of FHIC and how can implementation be measured? C. How can FHIC be implemented? Chapter 2 presents a study of difficult situations in HIC wards to see what can be learned regarding the development of FHIC. At HIC wards, care professionals sometimes encounter difficult situations. Interviews and a focus group were organized with care professionals from HIC wards. Taking into account the situation, and not focusing only on the patient, can be helpful in the detection of (early) signals or even prevent aggression. Chapter 3 describes the development and core elements of FHIC. The model was developed in expert meetings, using the results of scientific research and experiences from practice. The FHIC model consists of various interventions to reduce coercive measures and increase safety by working on the basis of contact. There are five core elements; care ethics, stepped care, the premise that a crisis is relational, safety in contact and peer expertise. Chapter 4 describes a mixed methods study validating the FHIC monitor. The FHIC monitor is a model fidelity scale of the FHIC model. Audits by trained FHIC care professionals provided the basis for the assessment of the measurement properties of the instrument. After revisions and adjustments, the FHIC monitor proved to be a usefu

This dissertation examines the development and implementation of a new care model in Dutch forensic psychiatry called Forensic High and Intensive Care (FHIC). FHIC aims to foster the transition from control-based care to contact-based care in forensic psychiatry. A new care model in acute psychiatry, High and Intensive Care (HIC), serves as an example. By analogy, Forensic High and Intensive Care (FHIC) has been developed for forensic psychiatry. However, the question is how the HIC model can be translated to forensic psychiatry. To gain insight into this, three research questions have been formulated: A. What can be learned from complex situations at HIC wards? B. What are the characteristics of FHIC and how can implementation be measured? C. How can FHIC be implemented? Chapter 2 presents a study of difficult situations in HIC wards to see what can be learned regarding the development of FHIC. At HIC wards, care professionals sometimes encounter difficult situations. Interviews and a focus group were organized with care professionals from HIC wards. Taking into account the situation, and not focusing only on the patient, can be helpful in the detection of (early) signals or even prevent aggression. Chapter 3 describes the development and core elements of FHIC. The model was developed in expert meetings, using the results of scientific research and experiences from practice. The FHIC model consists of various interventions to reduce coercive measures and increase safety by working on the basis of contact. There are five core elements; care ethics, stepped care, the premise that a crisis is relational, safety in contact and peer expertise. Chapter 4 describes a mixed methods study validating the FHIC monitor. The FHIC monitor is a model fidelity scale of the FHIC model. Audits by trained FHIC care professionals provided the basis for the assessment of the measurement properties of the instrument. After revisions and adjustments, the FHIC monitor proved to be a usefu