Descriptive study of therapeutic-communities for drug-dependents

We have carried out a study on seven Therapeutic Communities of Catalonian Public Network as a preliminary step of a broader research into efficacy and efficiency of this residential treatment modality. A descriptive questionnaire and personal interviews were made to determine similitudes and differences among programs and which of them could be evaluated. All these Communities are managed by multidisciplinary teams (psychologist, doctor, educators, social worker); they are inside of a complementary resources net and they use similar techniques in their treatments (individual psychotherapy, group therapy, counseling, meeting-groups, recreational and educational activities, and maintenance). Their basic differences are the center capacity (between 12 and 60 places); the treatments duration (between 6 and 14 months); theoric framework (they use a very specific psychological theory as psychoanalysis or behavioural-cognitive therapy, or they use different psychological theories); the intervention costs (between 5.000 $ and 12500 $); and on the larger or smaller staff's stability. All centers gather the evaluability requirements.