Fundacion Mama Ties and Respaldo partner to develop Aruba’s new mental health clinic
Potential site identified and TwynstraGudde appointed to develop the Program of Requirements, marking important progress toward a modern, integrated and financially sustainable mental health facility for Aruba
ARUBA, 10 August 2026 | Fundacion Mama Ties and Fundacion Salud Mental Aruba Respaldo, Aruba’s specialized mental healthcare institution, have officially launched their joint project to develop a new mental health clinic for the island.
The partnership is moving from ambition into active development, with significant work now underway to create a modern, right-sized and purpose-built facility designed around Aruba’s current and future mental health needs.
Two important developments mark this phase. A potential plot of land has been identified and scoped as a possible location for the future clinic, while Dutch consultancy TwynstraGudde has been appointed to develop the Program of Requirements, which will define the spatial, functional and technical foundations for the facility.
The next step will be to progress the process required to formally secure the land while the Program of Requirements continues to take shape.
According to Fito Croes, Chairman of Fundacion Mama Ties, the project represents an important step in translating the organization’s commitment to mental healthcare into tangible action.
“We are very pleased to take this important step forward in supporting Respaldo in securing a facility of its own. Our objective is not simply to help develop a new building, but to contribute to creating the conditions in which Respaldo can continue strengthening mental healthcare for the people of Aruba for many years to come.”
— Fito Croes, Chairman of Fundacion Mama Ties
Respaldo, Fundacion Mama Ties and TwynstraGudde meet with Aruba’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Telecommunications, Gervais René Herdé, to present initial ideas for the new mental health facility and discuss a potential site for its development.
Identifying a site for integrated mental healthcare
Today, mental health services in Aruba are delivered across multiple locations. Bringing key services together within a purpose-built facility creates an opportunity for mental healthcare to become more integrated, accessible and efficient for patients, families and healthcare professionals. The potential site is now being explored as part of the wider development process. Formal securing of the land will be one of the project’s next key steps.
For Respaldo, the project represents an opportunity to create an environment designed specifically around the delivery of modern mental healthcare and the needs of the people who depend on its services.
Caroline Hart, Director of Respaldo, emphasized the importance of having a dedicated facility that can support both patients and healthcare professionals.
“Having a purpose-built facility will be an important milestone for Respaldo and for mental healthcare in Aruba. It gives us the opportunity to bring essential services together in an environment designed specifically around the needs of our patients, their families and our professionals, while also allowing us to further develop a more integrated and community-oriented model of care.”
— Caroline Hart, Director of Respaldo
The new clinic is intended to support a model of care that extends beyond reactive treatment alone, with greater emphasis on prevention, community-based support and appropriate pathways between different levels of care. The aim is therefore not simply to construct a new building. It is to create an environment that supports a stronger, more accessible and more sustainable mental healthcare system for Aruba over the long term.
TwynstraGudde appointed to develop the Program of Requirements
To translate this ambition into a practical and buildable plan, Fundacion Mama Ties has appointed TwynstraGudde, a Netherlands-based consultancy with extensive experience in healthcare, organizational strategy and healthcare real estate. TwynstraGudde will develop the clinic’s full Program of Requirements, or Programma van Eisen (PvE). This document will establish what the clinic needs to deliver, how its services should function and what this means for the eventual building, its spaces, systems and infrastructure.
The firm also brings experience working in the Caribbean region, providing valuable context for the realities that projects in small-island environments must consider, including scale, workforce capacity, governance, logistics and long-term operating costs.
The TwynstraGudde team has already visited Aruba to conduct on-the-ground research, meeting with Respaldo’s clinical leadership and local stakeholders to understand how mental healthcare currently operates and where the greatest opportunities and constraints lie. These insights are being combined with detailed analysis of Aruba’s current and future mental healthcare needs, including clinical data, demographic developments, workforce capacity, anticipated demand and relevant international benchmarks.
The objective is to understand not only how much mental healthcare Aruba requires today, but how demand is likely to evolve in the years ahead and what model of care can respond to those needs in a sustainable way. The outcome will be a comprehensive Program of Requirements covering Aruba’s mental health needs, the proposed care model, spatial and functional requirements, integration with existing services and the technical requirements of the future building.
TwynstraGudde present interim insights about their interviews with key mental health institutions and practicioners in Aruba
Fundacion Mama Ties as Respaldo’s execution partner
Fundacion Mama Ties is a non-profit organization committed to helping ensure that no one in Aruba has to face mental health challenges alone. Affiliated with the Cas Bon Group, Mama Ties works closely with existing mental health organizations to strengthen their capacity to deliver high-quality care.
For the new clinic, Fundacion Mama Ties is acting as Respaldo’s execution and development partner, helping move the project from concept through planning, financing and ultimately implementation.
Its role includes:
funding the clinic’s predevelopment phase, including the studies, planning and professional work required before construction can begin
coordinating the development process together with Respaldo and the project’s specialist advisors
supporting the process of identifying and securing an appropriate site for the future clinic
helping develop a sustainable operational and financial model so that the future clinic is viable not only when it opens, but for decades to come
exploring a diversified revenue and financing structure, including insurance reimbursements, employer programs and blended financing
supporting Respaldo in securing the funding required to take the project from planning through development and construction
Fundacion Mama Ties is therefore approaching the development as more than a construction project. From land and planning to financing and implementation, each stage is being structured around the long-term resilience and sustainability of mental healthcare in Aruba.
As Fito Croes explained:
“For us, sustainability means looking beyond the construction of the clinic itself. We want to help establish a model that is operationally and financially sustainable, so that Respaldo has the infrastructure and resources it needs to continue serving the Aruban community well into the future.”
— Fito Croes, Chairman of Fundacion Mama Ties
What comes next
With a potential site identified and the Program of Requirements underway, the next steps will focus on formally securing the land, completing the demand and needs assessment, and defining the clinic’s spatial, functional and technical requirements. Once complete, Fundacion Mama Ties and Respaldo plan to appoint an architect to begin translating the vision into design.
The collaboration between Fundacion Mama Ties and Respaldo reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that Aruba’s mental healthcare infrastructure develops alongside the changing needs of its community, with a focus on accessibility, quality of care, integration and long-term sustainability.
