The VAPH (Flemish Agency for Persons with Disabilities) is starting a three-year project funding for two pilot projects focused on long-term complex care for individuals with a dual diagnosis of disability and psychiatric issues. With these pilot projects, the VAPH aims to financially support a licensed care provider and a mental health partner - a committed psychiatric hospital (PH) with the necessary regional expertise - to develop and test a tailored offer for (young) adults (starting at age 16) with complex issues of intellectual disability and psychiatric problems (the so-called 'GES++ issues') for whom returning to daily life after rehabilitation in mental health care presents a (too) complex challenge.

The offer developed within these pilot projects should focus on (functional) recovery and providing the necessary coping methods that prepare the involved clients to live and reside again in a regular (VAPH) setting. Each pilot project will appoint a coordinator.

The aim is to gradually provide an offer for about five clients per project after admission to a PH or VAPH setting, preparing them for living in a VAPH facility.

The accompanying research, which runs parallel to the implementation of the pilot projects, aims to:

• study and incorporate (inter)national scientific insights into the project,
• align with other dual diagnosis operations and gather and share knowledge,
• map out the (marginal) conditions for a potential broader rollout across Flanders,
• examine and document the acquired (scientific) insights in a report.