Abstract
Therapeutic communities (TCs) for substance abusers are oriented toward changing the entire person as a means for facilitating a drug-free future. This vision parallels ideas such as integrated care for the treatment of co-occurring substance abuse and psychiatric conditions. The extent to which integrated services are available in TCs has not been documented. Using data from a national sample of 345 TCs, this paper examines the availability of integrated care in TCs and the structural and cultural characteristics of TCs that offer integrated care. The results indicate that a substantial portion of TCs in this sample admit clients with co-occurring disorders (70.7%), and as many as half of the TCs offer integrated care. TCs that offer integrated care show increased use of professional staff, individual psychotherapy, and a less confrontational milieu, but notably, retain many of the "essential elements" of the traditional TC model.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 17-27 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors gratefully acknowledge research support from Research Grant R01-DA-14976 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health