A therapeutic community (TC) is a group of people who provide extended care and support for others with mental illnesses, physical disorders, drug addictions, behavioral issues, and criminal offenses. In most cases, the minimum duration of the stay is a few months while the maximum could be a year or more depending on the treatment. The community follows a family model where every individual works on improving themselves as well as helping those around them. Support from peers and counseling staff work in conjunction to offer habilitation or rehabilitation to individuals so they can function in society.
The therapeutic community is often housed in a residential building where members can live and interact together as a family would. In the communal setting, peers work together towards a positive outcome and help members to overcome their problems through influential means. In some activities, individuals are introduced to various learning experiences and situations focused on helping them adapt to a normal standard in society.
Many of the therapeutic communities are focused on helping to rehabilitate substance abusers, victims of abuse, and those with criminal offenses. Within the community, no one is referred to as an offender or a client. Everyone is considered a part of the family without titles or prejudice. The crime is not forgotten, but the focus is directed toward learning from the past and improving the future. This outlook helps to establish individual worth and value without demeaning an individual as a person or basing the limit of his or her character on past actions.
The therapeutic community also focuses on the habilitation of people who never had the opportunity to develop vital skills or independence. Those with mental or emotional disorders are able to learn how to interact with people and establish a grasp of how to function in society. Furthermore, a therapeutic community assists in helping people of any age who have multiple needs. They extend their services to the homeless, veterans, juveniles, children, terminally ill, and pregnant women.
Activities within a therapeutic community equally encompass both scheduled and unscheduled events or gatherings. While the members may have an easier time accessing a group of peers who are working toward the same goals, there are also counselors and various professional staff available to turn to for additional help, including trained medical staff in case of emergencies. The focus of the community is to promote self-help and help individuals learn the benefits of helping others recover and develop.