“Assesment Criteria and Principles at Therapeutic

Communities”

Alberto SabatésThe Hague, June 2009

- PROYECTO HOMBRE began in Spain 25 years ago following the models of Daytop and Progetto Uomo;- annual average of 16,000 users;- 26 authorised centres/ more than 1000 therapists/ some 2300 volunteers;- permanent support from numerous public and private institutions

Three Main Principles

1.1. EMPOWERMENT : promoting self-capacity

1.2. REBUILDING SOCIAL LINKS : social inclusion and reintegration

1.3. COMMUNITY ENERGIZING : institutional and personal involvement in the Community transformation

1. EMPOWERMENT: autonomy recovery

the resident as principal PROTAGONIST of their own process;

final object: recuperate autonomy;

CAPACITY: to learn to be the true subject of their own life

An extended concept of AUTONOMY

the need to avoid excessive use of medication/ psychoanalysing of the processes;

“capacity to make decisions and act effectively towards them”

“capacity to influence the different options which they have in reach, aswell as the social environment”

Zygmunt Bauman

Requirements for empowermentZygmunt Baumant

“construction and reconstruction of links between people”; “desire and capacity to collaborate with others”; “mutual enriching cooperation between men and women

which strengthens the reach for self-esteem, the development of their latent faculties and the adequate use of their aptitudes ”

Inspiring Opositions

To be professional vs. “Professionalism”; Integral view of being human vs.

reductionisms; Corresponsability in the treatment vs.

“assistencialism”;

To Be Professional vs. “Professionalism”

“PROFESIONALISM”: the following of alien interests, removed from the specific reality that constitutes the Therapeuic Community;

TO BE PROFESSIONAL: fidelity to a model of intervention/ systemisation/ assessment/ investigation/ rigor;

Decisive role of the interdisciplinary teams (wich includes ex drug addict therapists weakly qualified) ;

Own view of being human vs. reductionisms

HEALTH according to WHO is “the state of complete physical, psychological and social well-being and not only the absence of symptoms and diseases”

Not falling into the biological reduction, centered in the mere absence or palliation of the physical illness by pharmacological means;

To consider the MULTIPLICTY of dimensions and potentials of being human.

Corresponsability in treatment vs. over assistence

The resident as ACTIVE subject/ authentic protagonist of their own process; OBJECT: AUTONOMY

To leave to one side assistance: not to consider the patient as a PASSIVE object receiving outside help;

2. Rebuilding social links: social inclusion and reintegration

Final phase towards consolidation of personal autonomy; To go beyond abstinence; To prepare for freedom, to live outside the comfort of the

Therapeutic Community;

3. Social mobilization / involvement of the local community in the transformation

Transforming the strength of the therapeutic community into its social context.

Our capacity to energize, to become involved and to transform society

Man is the cure for man(African proverb)