Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
The supervisory board of Mental Health Caribbean (MHC), which provides mental health services to patients in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, has appointed Kathelijne van den Boogert (45) as its new managing director. She will start on November 1.
The first two months will be a transition period with the current managing director Erik Jansen, who will step down at the end of the year. After a careful selection process, MHC’s supervisory board decided to appoint Van den Boogert due to her impressive background and expertise, MHC said in press release on Thursday.
MHC added: “She has developed extensive knowledge and experience in organisational development and has led the transformation of youth care and mental health services for children and youth in Amsterdam. Over the past seven years, she has worked at Levvel in Amsterdam, an organisation that provides specialised youth care and psychiatric services to children, adolescents, and families in the Netherlands. Kathelijne will be relocating to Bonaire with her family.”
Van den Boogert had an informal introduction to all MHC departments at the end of August, which followed the signing of her employment contract at MHC’s office in St. Eustatius.
MHC supervisory board member Gerald Simmons-de Jong accompanied her on the introduction visit to St. Eustatius and Saba, and supervisory board member Giullitta Anthony joined the introduction in Bonaire.
Outgoing managing director Jansen said: “With Kathelijne’s appointment, I am confident that MHC can take the next step in its continued development towards providing appropriate and necessary mental health services in the Caribbean Netherlands.”
Van den Boogert and Jansen are scheduled to visit stakeholders in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao in December, while a similar visit to St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius is planned for early 2025.
`The supervisory board and staff of MHC look forward to a fruitful collaboration under the leadership of Kathelijne van den Boogert and reflect with great appreciation on Erik Jansen’s years of dedication and commitment,” it was stated in the press release.
The Daily Herald.