Background
Pioneered in the late 1950's, the therapeutic community movement spread across the nation bringing a way out of self-destructive behavior for those who were thought often to be beyond recovery.
Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA) was founded in 1975 as a non-profit membership association for therapeutic communities across the United States and Canada.
TCA has grown into a consortium of over 600 member programs. The association represents the interest of its member programs and their thousands of dedicated employees, who know that through appropriate intervention and treatment that our nation's drug problem can be addressed effectively.
Responding to the challenge of a national crisis in substance abuse, therapeutic communities have grown from long-term residential programs into comprehensive programs.
What is a Therapeutic Community (TC)?
The primary goal of a Therapeutic Community is to foster individual change and promote positive growth. This is accomplished by changing an individual’s lifestyle through a community of concerned people working together to help themselves and each other.
Being part of something greater than oneself is an especially important factor in facilitating positive growth. Therapeutic Communities offer a holistic approach in regards to treating the whole person and not just the addiction.
Clients in a Therapeutic Community (TC) are members, as in a family setting, they are not patients, as in an institution. These members play a significant role in managing the TC and act as positive role models for others to emulate.
High expectations and a high level of commitment from both Therapeutic Community members and staff are needed to make this positive change a success. Insight into ones problems is gained not only through group and individual interaction, but also by learning through experience, failing and succeeding and understanding accountability are considered to be the most integral influences toward achieving a lasting change.
The goal of the TC is to help the individual gain the ability to return to society and lead productive lives.
Many TCA member programs now provide assessment, detoxification, crisis intervention, ER triage, residential and outpatient treatment, family therapy and education, vocational training, medical and health services, aftercare, and continuing care.
Both adults and adolescents are served in therapeutic communities. In addition, TC's serve a broad spectrum of special needs populations. These populations include pregnant and post partum drug-addicted women, individuals with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, mentally ill substance abusers, criminal justice populations, the homeless, the physically handicapped, gang involved individuals, the elderly, veterans, and mothers with children.
Members of Therapeutic Communities of America are actively involved in research studies which have determined the efficacy of their efforts. Treatment improves the relationships, career prospects, and health of those directly impacted by addiction, and provides an impressive return on the dollar to society.
Positive treatment outcomes have also been shown to reduce health care costs as well as lessen incidents of crime, while increasing work productivity.