De WachtVerzachter

What De WachtVerzachter does

De WachtVerzachter is a Dutch social initiative founded in January 2021 that addresses long waiting times for professional mental health care by matching people on GGZ/jeugdhulp waitlists with volunteer experiential experts (ervaringsdeskundigen) who have lived experience of mental health challenges. The organization was developed jointly by Liane Wolfert (Bureau LWPC, the legal and administrative entity) and Saskia Schurman (EigenWijze Company), and operates from Swifterbant in the Netherlands. It is active in eight municipalities — Dronten, Kampen, Lelystad, Utrecht, Stichtse Vecht, Nieuwegein, De Ronde Venen and Eindhoven — and is supported by a network of over 200 volunteer experiential experts alongside approximately 22 paid staff.

The core product is one-to-one peer matching combined with a structured activity program of walks, creative workshops, outings and group sessions, delivered through physical 'huiskamers' hosted in libraries and community centers, online sessions, and outreach via the 'Bakkie Aandacht' foodtruck. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on standard digital communication tools (telephone, email, WhatsApp, Zoom) and a password-protected participant portal ('Mijn WachtVerzachter'). Sub-products include a youth program for ages 12-18 (Stichtse Vecht, Kampen, Eindhoven) and a parallel parent/caregiver support stream (Eindhoven).

The business model is a free, municipality-commissioned service. Each participating gemeente funds and commissions coverage for its residents under multi-year contracts; participation is free for end users. The organization has accumulated significant external recognition, including a 2021 mention in the Dutch parliament by State Secretary Paul Blokhuis, a January 2023 meeting with Queen Maxima, the 2024 Big Hug Award, and a 2025 nomination for the KEES Prize. A 2022 survey in a participating municipality found 86.7% of participants reported improved well-being. Adjacent initiatives OpenJeHart (social connection through activities) and Mantelkring (caregiver support) share office and staff resources with the WachtVerzachter.

Name

De WachtVerzachter

Legal name

Bureau LWPC

Website

https://wachtverzachter.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

De WachtVerzachter is a Dutch social initiative that matches people on mental health care waitlists with volunteer experiential experts for free peer support, funded by municipal government commissioning across eight municipalities in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental health peer support services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Wraparound & Community-Based Behavioral Support (ABA-Adjacent) (EDAKAHAO)

Keywords

• Mental health peer support
• Experiential expert matching
• Waitlist support services
• Youth mental wellness
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Nieuwegein

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal government commissioning: De WachtVerzachter is funded by municipalities in the Netherlands. Each municipality (e.g., Dronten, Kampen, Lelystad, Utrecht, Stichtse Vecht, Nieuwegein, De Ronde Venen) financially supports and commissions the service for its residents. Participation is free for end users. The initiative was founded by Bureau LWPC and EigenWijze Company, which provide organizational and professional support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

De WachtVerzachter matches individuals awaiting mental health treatment with trained experiential experts (ervaringsdeskundigen) who provide one-to-one peer support via regular phone calls, messaging, and in-person meetings, typically responding within 24 hours. The core service is augmented by an activities program (walks, creative workshops, outings), physical 'huiskamers' (living-room meeting spaces) in each municipality, and a 'Bakkie Aandacht' food truck for community outreach, with parallel programs for parents/caregivers and youth aged 12–18 in select municipalities.

Product overview

De WachtVerzachter is een laagdrempelig ondersteuningsinitiatief voor mensen die wachten op psychische hulp, geïnitieerd door Bureau LWPC (Liane Wolfert) en EigenWijze Company (Saskia Schurman). Het kernproduct is de koppeling van deelnemers aan een ervaringsdeskundige die hun situatie (h)erkent, aangevuld met een activiteitenprogramma (wandelingen, creatieve salons, uitstapjes), fysieke huiskamers als ontmoetingsplekken, en een 'Bakkie Aandacht' foodtruck voor outreach. In sommige gemeenten (Eindhoven, Stichtse Vecht, Kampen) wordt ook een apart jeugdprogramma (12–18 jaar) en een parallelprogramma voor ouders aangeboden. Het motto is 'niets moet, alles mag' en deelname is gratis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bakkie Aandacht: A colorful food truck used by WachtVerzachter for outreach activities, providing coffee, tea, and snacks while engaging with communities about mental health support.

Products and services

• Koppeling aan Ervaringsdeskundige (Peer Support Matching) One-to-one matching of participants waiting for mental health care with a trained experiential expert (ervaringsdeskundige) — a volunteer with lived experience of mental health challenges — based on personal wishes and shared circumstances, with regular phone contact and messaging support.
• Activiteitenprogramma (Activities Program) A varied program of online and offline activities (walks, creative workshops, drinks, museum visits, dinners) that connects participants with each other and with experiential experts, supporting recovery and social integration during the mental health waitlist period.
• Huiskamer (Living-Room Meeting Space) Physical, low-stimulation meeting locations in each participating municipality — often hosted in libraries or community centers — where participants and experiential experts meet in an informal 'living room' setting for one-to-one conversations and group activities.
• Bakkie Aandacht (Outreach Food Truck) A branded mobile outreach unit (food truck) that De WachtVerzachter deploys to universities, community locations, and events to engage potential participants and raise awareness of mental health support.
• Parallelprogramma voor Ouders (Parent Parallel Program) A parallel support program for parents and caregivers of children with mental health needs, pairing them with experiential expert parents who serve as a sounding board during the waiting period.
• Jeugdprogramma (12–18 jaar / Youth Program) A dedicated peer-support program for young people aged 12–18 with mental vulnerabilities, available in Stichtse Vecht, Kampen, and Eindhoven, with age-appropriate activities and expert matching.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86.7% of participants reported better well-being than when they started at the WachtVerzachter (survey of 2022 participants in a participating municipality)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• OpenJeHartminorOthers · 3 February 2026OpenJeHart is a related project run from the same office as the WachtVerzachter. It focuses on socially connecting people through a varied activity program. Shares staff/resources with WachtVerzachter.
• MantelkringminorOthers · 3 February 2026Mantelkring is a related project supporting caregivers who care for their loved ones and often reach their own limits. Shares office, staff, and organizational structure with the WachtVerzachter.
• Gemeente De Ronde VenencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2025De Ronde Venen commissioned the WachtVerzachter for residents 17+ who are waiting for mental health care or have had it, with a housekamer opening in Wilnis.
• Gemeente Stichtse VechtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 November 2024Stichtse Vecht commissioned the WachtVerzachter for adults 18+ and later expanded to youth aged 12-18, funding the service for its residents.
• Gemeente NieuwegeincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 April 2024Nieuwegein commissioned the WachtVerzachter, first for young adults and then expanded to adults 17+, funding the service and providing municipal support.
• Gemeente KampencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2024Kampen commissioned the WachtVerzachter as a pilot program for youth aged 12-18 (and later expanded to adults), funding the initiative for its residents.
• Vonk (formerly Viva La Vida), KampenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Vonk (formerly Viva La Vida) in the Oudestraat, Kampen serves as the fixed 'huiskamer' venue for the WachtVerzachter, hosting weekly Wednesday afternoon sessions.
• Gemeente LelystadcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Lelystad commissioned the WachtVerzachter for older youth and young adults (17-30 years), funding the service as a complement to existing Buurtkamers and STIP services.
• Gemeente UtrechtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023The municipality of Utrecht commissioned the youth edition of the WachtVerzachter for young adults aged 18-25, funding the service and embedding it in the local health ecosystem.
• Gemeente EindhovencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Eindhoven commissioned the WachtVerzachter for youth aged 12-18 and their parents/guardians, funding the service and integrating it with local youth care.
• Bibliotheek NieuwegeinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The library of Nieuwegein hosts a 'huiskamer' (living room) for WachtVerzachter participants, providing a quiet, welcoming space with fewer stimuli for meetings and activities.
• Bureau LWPC (Liane Wolfert)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Bureau LWPC, founded by Liane Wolfert, is the primary organizational force behind De WachtVerzachter. It provides administrative, operational, and programmatic support. The organization handles member administration, communications, and coordination. It is the legal and administrative entity responsible for data processing and compliance.
• EigenWijze Company (Saskia Schurman)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021EigenWijze Company, led by Saskia Schurman (an experiential expert), provides professional guidance and experiential expertise to the project. Schurman co-founded the initiative, bringing her own experience with mental health challenges and the mental healthcare system.
• Gemeente DrontencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021The municipality of Dronten was the first to commission the WachtVerzachter service, making it the founding partner municipality. Dronten funds and supports the initiative for its residents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MIND Korrelatie: Dutch mental health helpline providing anonymous, low-threshold support by phone and chat, including for people in crisis or distress. Directly comparable as a non-clinical, free, Dutch-language frontline mental health support service, though it focuses on anonymous contact rather than matched peer relationships.
• Lister: Dutch mental health organization providing supported housing, community support, and recovery-focused programs for people with psychiatric backgrounds. Comparable in its community-based, non-clinical orientation and municipality-funded model for people with mental health needs in the Netherlands.
• Indigo (voorheen Kwadraad): Dutch regional organization providing low-threshold mental health and youth support, including waiting-list support. Directly comparable as a Dutch non-clinical, municipality-funded mental health support provider; overlaps heavily on the "waitlist intermediary" positioning.
• 113 Zelfmoordpreventie: Dutch suicide prevention helpline offering 24/7 crisis support via phone and chat. Comparable as a non-clinical, government- and donation-funded Dutch mental health support service targeting people in acute distress, with overlapping referral pathways from GPs and municipalities.

Emerging players

• Lumen (GGZ): Dutch experiential-expertise and recovery-focused organization working in GGZ and social domains. Comparable in its use of experiential experts (ervaringsdeskundigen) and recovery orientation, and was co-referenced in the WachtVerzachter ecosystem through the KEES Prize community.
• Pluspunt Mantelzorg: Dutch regional support organization for informal caregivers (mantelzorgers), funded by municipalities. Directly comparable to De WachtVerzachter's related sub-brand Mantelkring, with the same municipality-funded, non-clinical, peer-supportive model for a different but adjacent population (caregivers).
• Eigen Kracht Centrale: Dutch foundation supporting citizen-led networks and family group conferences for people with care and support needs. Comparable as a Dutch non-clinical, community-led support model with similar values around autonomy and connection, though focused on broader social care rather than mental health waitlists.
• OpenUp: European digital mental health platform offering peer support, coaching, and self-help modules, often sold via employers and insurers. Comparable in providing non-clinical mental health support, including for waitlist situations, but operates commercially via a tech platform rather than through a community-volunteer model.

Broad incumbents

• Buurtzorg Triage: Dutch community-based care organization offering triage, mental health support, and neighborhood-level care delivery. Comparable for its community-led, municipality-funded, non-clinical Dutch model of supporting people with mental health and social needs, though operating at significantly greater scale.
• MIND Platform Psychische Gezondheid: National Dutch umbrella and advocacy organization for mental health, with information, peer support, and policy work. Comparable as a national mental health platform with a peer-support orientation, but operates at a much larger scale and broader scope than De WachtVerzachter's municipality-by-municipality model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dewachtverzachter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wachtverzachter
• Instagraminstagram.com/wachtverzachter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about De WachtVerzachter