scholarly journals Service innovation: a virtual informal network of care to support a ‘lean’ therapeutic community in a new rural personality disorder service

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Rigby ◽  
Dale Ashman
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Informal Networks ◽  
Community Based ◽  
National Programme ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Community Programme ◽  
Rural Catchment

This article presents a brief overview of service user-led informal networks of care in therapeutic community practice before discussing the design and evolution of a new kind of network in one of the pilot services of the Department of Health National Programme for the Development of Services for People with Personality Disorder (National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003a). This network employs well-established internet messaging and chat room facilities uniquely structured and moderated to encompass therapeutic community principles and provide equality of access across a huge mixed urban and rural catchment area. Both hardware and software are inexpensive, easily transferable to similar services and could be modified to suit other applications. The success of this system in allowing challenging work to proceed in a much reduced therapeutic community programme may offer the prospect of many more community-based therapeutic communities at the heart of new personality disorder services.

scholarly journals Therapeutic community research: past, present and future

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rex Haigh
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Community Research ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Outcome Study ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Cost Offset ◽  
Multi Level

This paper gives an outline of four research areas examining therapeutic community practice: an international systematic review, health economics cost-offset work, a cross-institutional multi-level modelling outcome study and a proposed action research project to deliver continuous quality improvement in all British therapeutic communities. Results of the first two have been published and are summarised here; the third is under way and the fourth is seeking funding.

Leading from below? Decisions, responsibility and creativity as a group dynamic

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Robert Douglas Hinshelwood
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Group Dynamic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Disadvantaged People

Purpose This paper aims to bring back into view some of the original ideas from which the Therapeutic Community (TC) developed today. If we forget the origins of therapeutic communities way back in the past, we cannot be in the best position to make decisions for the present. The underlying principles of the TC are a combination of social science ideas, psychotherapeutic practices and a political urgency to do something for disadvantaged people. There is a need to try to keep all branches of the past roots in play together. Design/methodology/approach Learning from the past. Findings The past has a relevance that must not be forgotten in present reflection. Originality/value This is a reflective exercise at the heart of the therapeutic community practice.

The complexity of the therapeutic experience within the therapeutic community based on an ex-patient’s account

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Ivanova ◽  
Andrew John Howe ◽  
Patricia Burns ◽  
Merryn Jones
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Experience ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
E Mail

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the therapeutic community and to look at the potential changes that some patients may experience following treatment at the therapeutic communities (TC). Design/methodology/approach A thematic analysis was conducted on an e-mail sent by an ex-patient of the TC. The text was reviewed multiple times and codes were generated. Based on the data found, three themes were identified. The e-mail was sent to the patient’s primary therapist, who was asked to provide an account of the e-mail. The therapist was sent six questions created by the authors of the paper; the responses were used to compare the two perspectives. Findings The main findings entailed the changes the patient went through after her treatment at the TC. The patient’s account described her inability to process the adversities she had been through at the time and therefore her inability to communicate them. However, the impact the service had on the patient, according to the e-mail was evident years later. The lack of a support network during treatment at the TC and evidence of one following treatment seemed to be the key factor in the patient’s improvement. Originality/value The authors confirm that the research presented in this paper is their original work. The authors hereby acknowledge that all material included in this piece of work, that has been published or written by another person has been referenced accordingly.

The rise and fall and rise again of the therapeutic community

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-59
Author(s):  
Rowdy Yates
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
Personal Contribution

Purpose Therapeutic communities (and many other residential services) have been effectively marginalised in recent years with the increasing popularity of community-based outpatient responses to a variety of social issues including addiction, learning difficulties, mental health issues, etc. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This has inevitably led to a low profile and has resulted in a lack of knowledge about therapeutic communities and how the methodology differs significantly from other approaches. Findings This situation is beginning to change in a number of fields and it is important that the therapeutic community movement adapts its methodology to the needs of their respective client groups and clarifies its approach (and the efficacy of that approach) to funders and service commissioners. Originality/value This paper is a personal contribution.

Participant Observation of a Therapeutic Community Model for Offenders in Drug Treatment

1997 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cátia Olivier Mello ◽  
Flavio Pechansky ◽  
James A. Inciardi ◽  
Hilary L. Surratt
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Therapeutic Tool ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Community Model ◽  
Therapeutic Procedures

This paper reports the participant observation of a Brazilian psychologist and a Brazilian psychiatrist during a 1-month period in two therapeutic communities (TCs) for drug-using offenders. A description of the activities undertaken by the prisoners who are serving their sentences at the Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in Wilmington, Del., is complemented with a theoretical understanding of the process. Clinical and developmental psychological approaches are used to explain the functioning of TCs when applied to a correctional environment. The theory of scripts and the use of metacommunication as a therapeutic tool are used in the explanation of these therapeutic procedures.

Legal Pressure in Therapeutic Communities

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
George De Leon
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abusers ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Treatment Retention ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Compulsory Treatment ◽  
Differential Outcomes ◽  
Retention In Treatment ◽  
Legal Pressure ◽  
Indirect Relationship

Therapeutic community (TC) studies are reviewed to assess the effects of legal referral on treatment retention and outcome. The main findings reveal little evidence for differential outcomes between legally referred and non-legally referred clients in TCs, although legal referrals to TCs remain longer in treatment than do “voluntary” clients. Thus, there is an indirect relationship between legal referral and outcome which is mediated through retention in treatment. Issues are discussed which have confounded interpretation of research on the efficacy of compulsory treatment, e.g., definitions, client perception of pressure, implementation of legal referral procedures and the complexity of the recovery process itself. It is hypothesized that legal pressure can have a limited but potent role in the recovery process for appropriately identified substance abusers.

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