Strengthening the healing environment for people and nature

These Green Mental Health Care front-runner institutions together employ more than 30,000 staff, provide care for over 300,000 clients, and jointly manage land equivalent to approximately one to one and a half National Parks.

The Green Mental Health Care Partnership focuses on the following five pillars:

1. Enhancing biodiversity

Investments are made in enhancing biodiversity and sustainability (climate resilience) on institutional grounds. The habitat for insects, plants and animals on these sites is increased by at least 5%.

2. More nature in treatment

Within Green Mental Health Care, nature is integrated into client treatment, for example through outdoor therapies in natural settings. Nature-based treatment supports therapeutic processes and client recovery. Green Mental Health Care institutions integrate nature into the treatment of 5–10% of their clients.

3. Vital staff

Green Mental Health Care institutions design their grounds in such a way that clients, peer experts, family members, and staff can recharge and work on their health through contact with nature. Institutions without their own grounds apply these principles in the surrounding area or on alternative sites, and invest in improving green spaces there or in the neighbourhood.

4. Integration with the neighbourhood

Green Mental Health Care institutions actively promote social green. They invest in strengthening connections between clients, family members and the local community through a green living environment. Examples include creating ponds or community gardens together with residents, or organising walking routes with volunteers.

5. Sharing experiences and expertise

Lessons learned by green front-runners are shared with other care institutions, thereby contributing to a green flywheel for the entire mental health care sector in the Netherlands.

Too Grazy Green (in Dutch: Te Gek Groen) is a programme within the Green Mental Health Partnership, transforming several hectares of mental health care estates into thriving green hotspots.

Across thirteen flagship sites led by pioneering mental health organisations, we demonstrate how nature can be used as a source of health, recovery and connection.

These flagship sites are operated by the following Green Mental Health frontrunners:

• GGz Breburg
• Reinier van Arkel
• GGZ Oost-Brabant
• GGzE
• Parnassia–Youz
• GGz Centraal
• Aerrea
• Pro Persona
• Dimence
• GGZ Drenthe
• Lentis
• Tobas Youth Care
• Mondriaan

At these mental health care estates, clients, care professionals and partners work together to enhance nature and strengthen biodiversity. The insights and lessons learned at these flagship sites are shared more widely across the care sector and with society at large.

Nature For Health and IVN Natuureducatie support these thirteen frontrunners within the mental health sector. They act as ambassadors for Too Crazy Green and demonstrate how nature can be an integral part of mental health care and everyday life.

The impulse to green care estates—for the benefit of clients, care professionals, local communities and nature alike—fits seamlessly within one of the action lines of the Health Domain of the” Collectief Natuurinclusief”. This action line promotes the development of healthy, green care environments as healing landscapes for mental health care, elderly care, disability care and hospitals.

With the support of the Postcode Lottery, Too Crazy Green serves as a green engine for mental health care. We warmly thank all Dutch Postcode Lottery participants for their contribution.

With the Green for Health programme (Groen voor Gezondheid), we broaden and deepen the greening movement within and across mental health care, disability care and elderly care. This applies both to healthcare estates and to care provision in neighbourhoods.

More than 30 healthcare locations in the Netherlands receive support from Nature For Health and IVN Natuureducatie to further strengthen the use of nature within care provision.

We do this in close collaboration with the sector organisations De Nederlandse GGZ, Vereniging Gehandicaptenzorg Nederland and ActiZ, all of which are an integral part of the Green for Health programme.

Programme focus

The programme contributes to:

• using green space to strengthen the vitality of healthcare professionals, clients and experts by experience;
• greening healthcare environments and actively making use of them;
• integrating nature into treatments, guidance and day activities;
• supporting the development of nature-based activities for clients and local residents;
• generating and/or sharing knowledge and research related to the use of nature in healthcare.

Knowledge exchange is also a key component of the programme, alongside the wider sharing of best practices. The insights and experience gained at pilot healthcare locations enable the programme to inspire more organisations and care settings within mental health care, disability care and elderly care.

Support

The programme is financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). This funding is provided through the incentive scheme for the implementation of the Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare 3.0. The programme also contributes to the realisation of nature-inclusive health within the Collective for Nature-Inclusive Development (Collectief Natuurinclusief).

1. More care in nature – At least 10% of treatments and day activities take place outdoors, with specific attention to behaviour that is difficult to understand and to positive health.
2. Green for vitality – 15% of staff actively work on their vitality through contact with nature; clients and staff are actively involved in this.
3. Green connection with the neighbourhood – Care locations seek collaboration with the local community, for example through shared green projects or accessible walking routes.
4. Improving the physical environment – Care locations are designed to be greener, cooler, more biodiverse and more climate-friendly.
5. Knowledge sharing and research – Front-runners exchange experiences, share best practices and stimulate sector-wide research and collaboration.

Nature For Health is working with the disabled care institution ‘s Heeren Loo to green their residential care parks.

We green neighborhoods in a way that strengthens people and nature, resulting in a healthier living environment for everyone. How can Nature For Health support your municipality or healthcare organization?