Therapeutic communities

Often when other treatments are not working and there is considerable instability is a persons life due to mental illness, people contemplate the benefits of therapeutic communities.

What is a therapeutic community?

Therapeutic communities offer group-based therapeutic treatment in a community setting. Staff and patients form a community in which the treatment takes place. Staff and patients work together, democratically and in a non-institutionalised approach.

The usual chain of command with staff at the top making the decisions and patients at the bottom does not exist and there is discussion and debate in making decisions regarding the community and individuals care. Their way of working is based on the principles of empowerment, democratic discussion, social inclusion and establishing a safe environment.

Therapeutic communities can be organised as a series of outpatient sessions, or make take the form of a day centre, a medium-long term residency or, in certain cases, a permanent home in the community.

What sort of treatment will I recieve?

The 'treatment' you will commonly find in therapeutic communities includes group psychotherapy and traditional psychoanalysis. However, members tend to learn much through the day to day interactions and relationships with others in the community.

Therapeutic communities believe in using a minimum amount of no psychotropic medication. The therapeutic community is by no means an easy option, you will come under intense scrutiny from both patients and staff, but many believe the effort is worth it.

Does it work?

Several studies have found that this approach to treatment is successful in substantially improving the quality of life for members. A study of patients at the Cassel Hospital showed that 98% of patients are too disturbed on admission to find employment, but that five years later 90% have jobs. Re-admission and re-conviction rates have been found to drop considerably after treatment in a therapeutic community.