Ixta Noa

Ixta Noa is an organisation for and by people experiencing mental or socio-emotional vulnerability or disruption. Ixta Noa means 'I stand new' and its motto is 'Ixta Noa changes you'. Name and motto are a metaphor for what we want to achieve.

Ixta Noa wants to contribute to positive health and recovery. Ixta Noa's expertise in this is experiential expertise: people who themselves have experienced a psychologically disruptive period in their lives use their recovery to help others in their recovery. We do not see people who come to us as clients with a care need, but as citizens who are meaningful to those around them. Our working method focuses on creating a context in which everyone matters, participates and contributes to meaning and recovery. By exchanging experiences according to the value of 'getting, bringing and passing on', participants can help and support each other. Experiences they can identify with, which in turn can contribute to understanding and help them gain insight into their own recovery process and process what someone has been through.

We guide people intensively in discovering and using their own potential. The starting point is what the participant himself can contribute: what is his own strength, how can it be strengthened and how can the social system around him be activated? Ixta Noa's goal is that by sharing experiences, people with mental health problems become motivated to change themselves and regain control of their lives. The step towards undertaking meaningful activities, doing (voluntary) work or starting an education after a period of or with (permanent) mental vulnerability is often a big one. Within Ixta Noa, people can put into practice what they have learned with guidance. When they get stuck for a while, we are there to catch them and actively guide them through this. This allows someone to 'fall and stand up' and challenges them to experiment with new skills without having to stick to old, non-functional patterns. Using goals from someone's support plan, Ixta Noa works on picking up normal daily life. This plan is made together with an experience volunteer who understands how tough it can be. By means of the support plan, stagnation is prevented and movement and meaning is organised, naturally at someone's own pace!

We organise various recovery-supportive activities within the walk-in, such as theme meetings, game afternoons, meditations, creative activities and various peer groups. We also offer lunch in our Practice Houses, which someone can participate in when it suits their goals. The activities provide space for relaxation, connection and contribute to a person's recovery process. Participation is entirely voluntary and never compulsory.

A person can come to our Practice Houses or drop-in facilities if they suffer from mental and/or socio-emotional vulnerability or if they have someone close to them who is struggling with this. In our Practice Houses or drop-in facilities, participants can meet each other and practice all kinds of situations. For example, if someone finds it difficult to start a conversation, we will work with them to see how they can take steps in this direction. Together, we create a homely, safe and instructive atmosphere in our Practice Houses and drop-in facilities. Our support is free of charge and no referral, diagnosis or indication is needed. The Praktijkhuis in Leeuwarden is at Willemskade 23, opposite the Pancake Ship.

In principle, our volunteers and staff work in the Practice Houses, but they can also be deployed in the neighbourhood as experts by experience. They can, for example, contribute to case histories or drop by for talks or activities in the community centres.