Conducting a Therapeutic Community Program Evaluation with Limited Resources

Aims: Demonstration of treatment effectiveness at the local program level within the limits of available funding and resources. Design: Evaluating program graduates by comparing their admission status to their post-treatment discharge status. Setting: A residential, drug-free therapeutic community. Participants: 79 of 152 program graduates. Measurements: The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale:2 (TSCS:2) and the Post-Treatment Follow-Up Survey (PTFUS). Findings: The TSCS:2 distinguished between participants who were “faking good” and/or “avoiding self-criticism” and those responding in a more genuine fashion. Significant gains in several areas of the self-concept were noted for those with valid TSCS:2 profiles when compared to an unmatched admission sample. Improvements on other indicators of treatment improvement (e.g., employment, no criminal justice status) were also noted through use of the PTFUS. Conclusions: The effectiveness of treatment can be demonstrated at the local program level with minimal resources.