Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Forewords
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Treating adolescent substance abuse: state of the science
- Part I Theoretical, empirical, and methodological foundations for research in adolescent substance abuse treatment
- Part II Practice and policy trends in treatment for adolescent substance abuse
- Part III Comprehensive assessment and integrative treatment planning with adolescent substance abusers
- Part IV Empirically based interventions for adolescent substance abuse: research and practical implications
- 15 Adolescent therapeutic communities: future directions for practice and research
- 16 School-based group treatment for adolescent substance abuse
- 17 Profiles of change in behavioral and family interventions for adolescent substance abuse and dependence
- 18 Behavioral management approaches for adolescent substance abuse
- 19 Evidence-based cognitive–behavioral therapies for adolescent substance use disorders: applications and challenges
- Part V Culturally based treatment development for adolescent substance abusers
- Part VI Building the future
- Index
- References
15 - Adolescent therapeutic communities: future directions for practice and research
from Part IV - Empirically based interventions for adolescent substance abuse: research and practical implications
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Forewords
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- 1 Treating adolescent substance abuse: state of the science
- Part I Theoretical, empirical, and methodological foundations for research in adolescent substance abuse treatment
- Part II Practice and policy trends in treatment for adolescent substance abuse
- Part III Comprehensive assessment and integrative treatment planning with adolescent substance abusers
- Part IV Empirically based interventions for adolescent substance abuse: research and practical implications
- 15 Adolescent therapeutic communities: future directions for practice and research
- 16 School-based group treatment for adolescent substance abuse
- 17 Profiles of change in behavioral and family interventions for adolescent substance abuse and dependence
- 18 Behavioral management approaches for adolescent substance abuse
- 19 Evidence-based cognitive–behavioral therapies for adolescent substance use disorders: applications and challenges
- Part V Culturally based treatment development for adolescent substance abusers
- Part VI Building the future
- Index
- References
Summary
The therapeutic community (TC) began as a mutual-help approach for the treatment of substance abuse outside of mainstream psychiatry, psychology, and medicine. Today, the TC is a recognized treatment approach for individuals with substance use and abuse problems. The primary agent for change remains mutual help; however, the TC has evolved to incorporate the participation of professionals into the therapeutic and organizational structure to address the increasingly complex needs of clients admitted for treatment. The current chapter presents a case for the role of the TC as a critical treatment option for adolescents with substance use/abuse and concomitant problems. The model is described and a review of the empirical basis for the approach is presented. The question of “What's next?” will be addressed, both in terms of directions for research and for clinical innovations.
Background and history
The TC views substance abuse as a disorder of the whole person, involving the possibility of impeded personality development with associated deficits in social, educational, and economic/survival skills (De Leon, 1986, 2000). This global perspective of the problem supports a multidimensional rehabilitative approach that occurs in a 24-hour setting. The community itself, consisting of member–residents and staff, and all of the community activities, are designed to produce therapeutic and educational change in the participants, who are also the mediators of these changes (De Leon, 1997).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Adolescent Substance AbuseResearch and Clinical Advances, pp. 313 - 332Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006
References
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