[.ca] Therapeutic Community: A Practice Guide (ISBN 0595280439)

Therapeutic Community: A Practice Guide __ Book Revierw:
Therapeutic Community: A Practice Guide A Review This is a great TC handbook. I do appreciate the author for writing the book. It was written based on the author's rich and varied job experiences in several TC settings. His writing shows his broad and deep theoretical knowledge of the TC. Greater knowledge and insight into the TC are some benefits the reader will gain from the book. The book provides knowledge of importance to practitioners to guide him in the practical and proper applications of the TC methods. Through each chapter the author systematically presents essential concepts and important issues that TC practitioners must be knowledgeable about. The Introduction by Susan-Grace R. Manalo, providing a testimony of a recovered addict and her struggles in the TC, illustrates a real-life story of the process of change that she has to undergo through the TC to find her self and start a productive life. The chapters on the General Perspective on Treatment and Rehabilitation and A Brief Overview of the TC provide the necessary background for the reader to put in context the information in the succeeding chapters. The chapter on Establishing the TC Environment weaves the important elements and aspects of TC to form the necessary treatment environment. The rest of the chapters that explain the various categories of TC treatment tools and interventions provide detailed descriptions of how they are applied and the theoretical basis of how and why they work. The discussion on the Privileges in the TC informs the reader of its significance and clinical value. The author explains adequately, through sufficient example and illustration, the TC's primary tenet of "Community as Method" in his discussion of the Role of Counselor or Staff in TC. The special tools of Emotional Interview and the Intake Interview in TC are adequately explained. The applications of cognitive dissonance theory and the principle of coercion in the intake interview process as well as in the applications of the behavior shaping tools are explained clearly. The reader gains the necessary knowledge on how to perform interviews effectively. Spirituality in the TC outlines the stages of spiritual development of residents in treatment, and identifies the humanistic elements of the philosophy and approaches of the TC. This chapter helps the reader view addiction as a human problem that involves the whole person. The Phases of Treatment and Reentry Program provide a conceptual understanding of the developmental nature of treatment in TC and outlines crucial stages and tasks that residents in TC must go through to prepare them for re-entering society. Both chapters are informative and offer practical guide for practitioners. The author identifies important family issues that TC practitioners must attend to when working with the families of drug dependent clients in discussing the Role of the Family in the TC Program. Guidelines for organizing family programs are also provided and practical suggestions for activities are given. The inclusion of a chapter on Relapse Prevention is very useful and gives the reader insight about the essential subject of relapse and its process, as well as necessary knowledge and practical guidance of relapse prevention and coping strategies. The metaphor of "learning to ride a bicycle" to illustrate the learning process of abstinence and sobriety is apt. Special attention is paid on the Application of the TC Methods to Adolescent Drug Abusers, which highlights the differences between adolescent and adult drug abusers, their treatment issues, and treatment approaches. Finally, the chapter on Evaluating the Treatment Effectiveness and Outcome of the TC emphasizes the need for monitoring treatment effectiveness and outcome. Some of the common outcome measures are explained as well as the limitations of outcome research. Simple procedure for monitoring treatment effectiveness and outcome is provided for the reader. Overall, the book is easy to read and provides useful and practical guide to TC practitioners. Gouw Aij Lien Bandung, Indonesia

Good stuff!:
I must admit that I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. The cover appeared somewhat different from "professional" texts, but the material contained therein more than makes up for the cover design. Knowing little more than the theory behind the TC, I was well informed when I had worked through this one. The structure of the TC management, the details of how the addict is transformed through the unique TC community to a productive, stable member of society, and everything in between is covered. Aside from working in one, I have yet to see anything that comes close. The TC terms are covered and many details are thrown in. From the first minute someone contacts a TC through their re-entry, there is a reason everything is done. This book provides those reasons. The author has worked with Daytop, a leading national TC treatment provider.