Therapeutic Communities For Treating Addictions In Europe

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the essentials of the Therapeutic Community (TC) theory and its practical "whole person" approach to the treatment of substance abuse disorders and related problems. Part I outlines the perspective of the traditional views of the substance abuse disorder, the substance abuser, and the basic components of this approach. Part II explains the organizational structure of the TC, its work components, and the role of residents and staff. The chapters in Part III describe the essential activities of TC life that relate most directly to the recovery process and the goals of rehabilitation. The final part outlines how individuals change in the TC behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally. This is an invaluable resource for all addictions professionals and students.

In an effort to make knowledge available about how treatment systems for drug users are organised in different countries, and to facilitate bi- and multilateral co-operation and research, this publication presents an overview of the treatment systems of 22 of the 35 Pompidou Group member countries. In most of Europe, The focus of drug treatment in the 1980s and 1990s was on heroin And The introduction of substitution treatment. However, a shift to cater for polydrug use is now taking place across Europe. The diversity of treatment systems reflects the complexity of the local legal, political, economic and cultural context of drug problems. This source of good practices for making treatment accessible and available will be useful not only for policy makers and practitioners, but also for user groups, researchers And The wider public as well

This book presents an in-depth qualitative study carried out with inpatients under treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) in seven therapeutic communities (TCs) located in three countries: Peru, Nicaragua and Czech Republic. By comparing the experiences in these different cultural contexts, the book presents a grounded theory of SUDs treatment in TCs from a cross-cultural perspective, identifying factors that influence the efficacy of SUDs treatment in TCs based on interviews carried out with inpatients. Based on rigorous qualitative research methods, this book presents not only a comparative analysis of TCs located in different cultural contexts, but also analyzes the cross-cultural nature of the therapeutic programs adopted in these communities, such as the combination of traditional Amazonian medicine based on the therapeutic use of ayahuasca with conventional psychotherapy and occupational therapy, among other approaches. Departing from the interviews carried out with inpatients, the authors present a comparative analysis of how the different TCs address important issues related to SUDs treatment, and complement this analysis with machine-generated summaries of relevant scientific papers. These summaries contain results of similar research projects conducted in other cultural contexts. Substance Use Disorders Treatment in Therapeutic Communities: A Cross-Cultural Approach presents the results of a unique comparative study with great translational potential which will be of interest to both researchers and practitioners working in TCs. This unique comparative study identifies factors affecting the efficacy of therapeutic programs and proposes a grounded theory which aims to serve as an important source of information for therapists and other professionals working with SUDs treatment and for the replication of applied therapeutic methods in other TCs.

Developing a better understanding of the meaning of human rights in drug policy. When people have a history of dependence, they often experience stigmatisation and are frequently perceived as criminals. This stigma has a negative impact on their lives, therefore the issue of human rights for people who use drugs is crucial and needs to be taken seriously, and urgently, into consideration. This publication puts into perspective different country situations and practices. It helps countries to enlarge their view on how to integrate a human right approach into the daily life of people who use drugs, in a concrete manner. This report provides an overview of the situation of human rights and drugs policy in the 18 participating countries of the Pompidou Group’s Mediterranean network for co-operation on drugs and addictions (MedNET). The research was conducted by collecting data in these countries, covering both the northern and southern rims of the Mediterranean, on specifics issues linked to human rights and people who use drugs. It is the second, and more exhaustive, effort to gather information on this important topic which underlies the Pompidou Group’s mission. In 2022, the research includes new topics such as the issue of children of parents who use drugs and children who use drugs themselves, the gender dimension in prevention and treatment, the treatment and care services available in prison and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on drug policy.

This monograph describes methods, instruments and indicators designed to enhance the evaluation of treatment programs for drug users in the EU. It explores the theory of drug treatment evaluation and how the principles of such evaluation can be applied in practice and made relevant to practitioners. In particular, it demonstrates how evaluation can help policy-makers take informed and appropriate decisions on treatment and help professionals boost the quality, relevance and cost-effectiveness of treatment services.