Spotlight: Yes We Can Clinics

Students of ILS learn their profession in real life. That is why International Lifestyle Studies works together with companies from the Netherlands and abroad. In the first two years of the programme, these companies act as project owners. In their third year, students can also approach them for their internships. On Join ILS, these companies introduce themselves on a regulary basis.

Company name Yes We Can Clinics

Representative Berend-Jan Verheijen

Working together with ILS since 2018

Sectors Health

What kind of company is Yes We Can Clinics?

'Yes We Can Clinics is a clinic for youngsters between the ages of thirteen and twenty-three years old who deal with psychological problems, addictions, and behavioural problems. We are located in Hilvarenbeek and we have 120 beds. The youngsters we work with have a history of unsuccessful general youth care. With our unique methods, we try to get these kids back on track. The success of the care comes from a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, experience experts and coaches who work with these fellows from the time they get up at 6.45 am to when they go to bed at 22.30 pm. We call the youngsters fellows, because we think the term patient creates a distance. We want to work together with the youngsters and collectively deal with their problems. In addition, we like the youngsters to work together as a fellowship. The way in which we work in teams creates a unique atmosphere. Our approach towards the fellows is one of love, warmth and care. The combination of all these elements makes for a successful recovery climate.'

What is your relationship with ILS?

'Yes We Can Clinics was commissioning party in the first field assignment which the first year students worked on, at the start of their study. They had to make trend analyses for our company and share those in a presentation with us.'

What is the added value of this type of collaboration for your company?

'A large group of students - young people like the target group of Yes We Can – takes a critical look at our way of working. They provide a fresh perspective on it, and can monitor and point out trends and developments that might be relevant for our company. They can come up with ideas you would never have thought of yourself and plant small seeds that make you look differently at things.'

What do you like about ILS?

'I like the fact that students of ILS work with real commissioning parties and don’t do these typical ‘pretend as if..’ assignments that are nothing like reality. Besides that, I also liked seeing the mixture of students I saw during the presentations. They all have different backgrounds and talents. Some are very practical, some very theoretical. Some are brilliant at designing, some in telling a story. The collaboration between these talents in groups is valuable to get a diverse image and a clear solution for the cases they have to work on.'