History

ARQ was founded in 2007 as Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group. The initiator was Stichting Centrum '45. It felt a social responsibility to strengthen cooperation on the subject of psychotrauma. ARQ's knowledge and experience stems from the help provided to war victims after the Second World War.

Better apply shared knowledge of trauma care  

In 2008, ARQ IVP became a subsidiary of Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group, alongside Stichting Centrum '45. In 2009, Equator Foundation joined, as did Antares Foundation (until 2012). The AMC Police Polyclinic became part of the Psychotrauma Diagnostic Centre (PDC). Then, in 2010, Echoes Online was founded and, in 2011, War Trauma Foundation, Cogis Stichting and Stichting Impact became ARQ departments. Stichting Pelita and Stichting 1940-1945 joined ARQ as partners in 2014. From 2019, Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group continued under the new name of ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre. We have joined forces, bringing all psychotrauma expertise under one roof.  

ARQ through the years  

• 1944 
  Members of twenty World War II resistance groups secretly set up a foundation, which was to become the legal Stichting 1940-1945 (1940-1945 Foundation) after the war. The aim was to provide any necessary kinds of assistance to former resistance fighters. Over the years, the support was expanded to include victims of persecution and civilian victims of World War II.   

• 1973 
  Stichting Centrum Post-concentratiekamp Syndroom (Centre for Post-Concentration Camp Syndrome Foundation) was established. The name soon changed to Stichting Centrum'45.   

• 1985 
  The Instituut voor Psychotrauma (Institute for Psychotrauma) was founded.  

• 1996 
  ARQ IVP was acquired by Schouten & Nelissen, increasing its focus on training.     

• 2002 
  Founding of the national centre of expertise for post-disaster psychosocial care, under the name Stichting Impact. This was prompted by the number of disasters in the Netherlands in a relatively short period of time (the Bijlmer disaster (1992), the Enschede firework disaster (2000) and the Volendam café fire (2001)). These disasters revealed a clear need for coordinated and thorough long-term psychosocial support after a large-scale disaster.  

• 2005 
  Stichting Centrum '45 enters into an administrative merger with Stichting 1940-1945. To gather expertise on psychotrauma, the Stichting KTP (Foundation for the Knowledge and Application of Psychotraumatology) was established with the Instituut voor Psychotrauma bv. Stichting Cogis becomes the legal successor of ICODO (Information and Coordinating Body for Services for War Victims).   

• 2006 
  The Psychotrauma Diagnosis Centre was established, contributing to the establishment of the Dutch-speaking Association for Psychotrauma (NtVP).   

• 2007 
  Prompted by the need for a clearer structure, the holding company Stichting ARQ was established and ARQ IVP became part of ARQ.   

• 2009 
  In 2009, Antares Foundation and Equator Foundation joined ARQ. This resulted in the creation of the Psychotrauma Diagnostic Centre (PDC). In 2009, AMC's Police Polyclinic was added to the PDC to support first responders with mental health issues.    

• 2011 
  In 2011, War Trauma Foundation, Stichting Cogis (succeeded by the current ARQ Knowledge Centre War, Persecution and Violence) and Stichting Impact (the current ARQ Knowledge Centre Impact of Disasters and Crises) joined ARQ.  

• 2014 
  Stichting Pelita and Stichting 1940-1945 joined ARQ as partners.  

• 2020 
  Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group continues under the new name of ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre.