Staff training in Greek therapeutic communities for drug addicts: An experiential approach

TY - JOUR

T1 - Staff training in Greek therapeutic communities for drug addicts: An experiential approach

AU - Tsiboukli, A

AU - Wolff, K

PY - 2003/3

Y1 - 2003/3

N2 - Training staff to combat drug use is not an easy task given the range of different treatment models and professionals in this field. Treatment models range from pharmacotherapies through outpatient approaches to drug-free self-help groups and therapeutic communities. Staff working in Greek therapeutic communities for drug addicts constitute a mixed group, ranging from some who have already acquired a professional identity through university studies to others being ex-addicts who base their work mainly on a personal treatment experience. This present paper is focused around the experiential approach to training programmes in the drug addiction field. Consideration is given to the origins in a generic TC with special reference made to the therapeutic communities movement in the Greek context. The development and history of training within hierarchical TCs will be explored and the tensions between the professional staff group and the ex-addict staff group will be discussed. The paper suggests that the improvement of existing services and the development of better facilities for drug addicts and their families require greater emphasis and resource allocation for staff training

AB - Training staff to combat drug use is not an easy task given the range of different treatment models and professionals in this field. Treatment models range from pharmacotherapies through outpatient approaches to drug-free self-help groups and therapeutic communities. Staff working in Greek therapeutic communities for drug addicts constitute a mixed group, ranging from some who have already acquired a professional identity through university studies to others being ex-addicts who base their work mainly on a personal treatment experience. This present paper is focused around the experiential approach to training programmes in the drug addiction field. Consideration is given to the origins in a generic TC with special reference made to the therapeutic communities movement in the Greek context. The development and history of training within hierarchical TCs will be explored and the tensions between the professional staff group and the ex-addict staff group will be discussed. The paper suggests that the improvement of existing services and the development of better facilities for drug addicts and their families require greater emphasis and resource allocation for staff training

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037642347&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

VL - 24

SP - 63

EP - 76

JO - Therapeutic Communities

JF - Therapeutic Communities

IS - 1

ER -