WFTC: STANDARDS AND GOALS FOR
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES
1.Therapeutic Communities represent a design of treatment which is directed primarily towards recovery from substance abuse through personal growth and which requires abstinence from mood-altering substances, including prescription drugs used illegally.
2. The members of the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities are required to:
(a) Recognize the human and civil rights of all persons associated with their therapeutic community and clearly state the rights, privileges and responsibilities of clients and staff.
(b) Vest in each individual within the Therapeutic Community the right to be free from the threat of the negative use of power by any individual or group.
(c) Develop a statement on the philosophy and goals of the program.
(d) Adopt regulations for their Therapeutic Community which afford protection from apparent or actual abrogation of local and national laws.
(e) Function within environments which provide maximum opportunity for physical, spiritual, emotional and aesthetic development and which will ensure the safety of everyone.
(f) Facilitate the structure of a society/community based on the optimal use of the integrity, good will and humanity of all its members in which the dignity of persons is a priority value.
(g) Train and provide adequate supervision for staff.
(h) Be accountable to an external Executive or Community Board with meetings predetermined and at regular intervals during the year for the purpose of maintaining supervision and responsibility for the activities of the program and each facility.
(i) Produce an annual audited financial report, authorized by the member’s Executive or Community Board.
3.The Board of the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities will require adherence to the Standards and Goals when considering applications and renewals of membership and will also require active compliance with the criteria established by the World Federation’s By-Laws under the “Definition” Article lll and the “Membership” Article Vl (with particular reference to paragraphs A1, A2, B1, B2 and C3).
WFTC ISSUES FINAL STATEMENT ON HARM REDUCTION
The Executive Council at its mid-year meeting, 12-13 September 2002, Voted unanimously to support the following statement on Harm Reduction:
Prelude
At the instance of the Executive Council at their mid-year Meeting in the year 2000, the President engaged our long-time Colleague, Dr. Martien Kooyman of the Netherlands, to Chair a Study of Harm Reduction for purposes of WFTC’s response to this issue. Anthony Gelormino (U.S.A.) accepted the operational post as Executive Director. Their study was inaugurated at the 20th World Conference (San Francisco 2000), continued by post/facsimile/e-mail during the period, and culminated in a final review at the recent 21st World Conference (Melbourne 2002). The Harm Reduction Study Commission now submits to the Executive Council its recommendation as Official Policy on the subject.
Whereas: WFTC Standards and Goals clearly enunciates that the “Therapeutic Community represents a design of treatment which is directed primarily toward recovery from substance abuse through personal growth and which requires abstinence from mind-altering substances (including prescription drugs used illegally)”;
Be it resolved: Abstinence is a goal for individuals in the Therapeutic Community process and TCs will give a voice to a person in its decision-making process;
Be it resolved, further: Interaction with other health and social service networks will be based on treatment concepts leading to abstinence. Consequently, involvement with concepts of addiction as an incurable disease is precarious;
Be it resolved, further: Needle exchange projects and providing addictive drugs, without personal contacts directed toward improving the life of clients, are inhumane and should be avoided. Prescribing of a substitute drug should be a component of a program directed at rehabilitating the client;
Be it resolved, further: Therapeutic Communities treat people, not drugs. Drug addiction is a symptom of other problems that can be dealt with after the drug abuse and other acting-out behavior has stopped;
Be it resolved, further: Treatment of addiction, which takes place in Therapeutic Communities, is Harm Reduction. However, Harm Reduction, as the term is commonly used, is not treatment. Therapeutic Communities should aspire to be part of an integrated treatment system including residential and outpatient programs, day centers, methadone programs, detoxification clinics, prison and hospital alternatives.
This document summarized an extensive global study, reviews and research over the last year by the Standards and Goals Sub-Committee on Harm Reduction. Chairman Dr. Martien Kooyman, Vice Chairman Wilbur Grimson, and the Committee, along with Executive Director Anthony Gelormino, did an outstanding job in compiling the comments and recommendations, solicited and received, relative to this very complex issue. The result is a very clear and concise position, which the Executive Council felt was truly representative of the WFTC membership.