NCJ Number
182711
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 1997 Pages: 279-298
Date Published
1997
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article explains the treatment process that leads to the success of therapeutic communities (TCs) in rehabilitating clients through a case study of CREST, a combined TC and work release programs for substance abusers with criminal histories.
Abstract
To examine the TC treatment process, data were obtained at the CREST Outreach Center in Wilmington, Del., a 6-month residential, community-based TC for prison inmates with histories of substance abuse. The program has been operating for the past 5 years and serves both male and female clients. CREST is the first program in the United States to integrate the TC and work-release modalities for convicted substance abusers. This program integration is based on the belief that work release enhances TC treatment and serves to reintegrate the program's criminal justice clientele back into society. Clients are completely involved in the TC for their first 3 months in CREST. These first months, comprised of two phases (orientation and primary treatment), provide the therapeutic foundation of the program. Unlike other residential TCs, however, clients are eventually able to obtain employment and work for wages outside the program as one of the treatment stages. The work-release phase lasts approximately 3 months and follows successful completion of primary treatment. Using data derived from a process analysis of CREST, and substantiated by the literature on TCs, the model used in the current study considers both structural and programmatic elements and individual-level factors. This framework is unique in that it attempts to show the dynamic processes among various elements in the setting to produce global changes in clients that are important for living drug-free. 1 figure, 5 notes, and 31 references