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Dear Anthony, Thank you for this well written and impassioned email. I don't have any immediate inspiration about available resources (people and monies) but I'd like to share your posting with the TC-OF list. The ATC also wishes to provide services to meet current needs of vulnerable and excluded individuals, groups, and families in this 21st Century. Best wishes Kevin -----Original Message----- From: Therapeutic Communities [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Anthony Slater Sent: 18 November 2005 21:50 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: 1000 flowers, past, present, future. Dear (Craig) and All, These last few days discussion have brought to me many things to think about, including my own reactions. In an attempt to continue to move forward, I would like to share the following experiences and thoughts, some about the past, some about present time, and some about the future. 1) The lessons from the past are often mixed, and particularly in the field of therapeutic communities well documented. 2) The experiences which took place in the past, of Synanon are one example of this, why bring this up now? Synanon has been well documented, also more recent examples of the dangers of charismatic leadership, (though not so much about what goes well, charisma is not so bad, sometimes). 3) In the early 1990's I found myself in the company of the director and some of his staff, who spent some time justifying the use of violence in a well known therapeutic community. My colleagues and I, of course confronted this "model of treatment," as having no place in treatment services of any type. 4) The scientific documentation which was available from the past of these types of abuses, added to the solidarity & experience of "our" position and values system. 5) What relevance does this has in the present time? 6) A couple of years ago during this 21st century , I was able to visit a country in Central & Eastern Europe, I think the current term is "emerging country", where there are two members of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities. One of the difficulties being faced locally at that time, was the growing popularity of a "privately" owned therapeutic community, run by a charismatic businessman, who had the vulnerable clients "working for him", when they objected, violence was used as a therapeutic tool. The country in which this was located, a former member of the Soviet Union, in a cultural sense, simply accepted that as the people who were in "treatment," were drug addicts, former prostitutes, and former criminals that this was to be expected, in essence they deserved it, and so, it was OK. Oddly enough the community member's families also accepted this approach; my own view was (when I met them) that perhaps, they felt powerless to do much about it. 7) After meeting with the ministers of justice, health and social policy, the wife of the president of the country, the head of the church, It was possible, with the help of the staff from the local therapeutic community, acting as translators and giving me support ( holding my hand ), to explain the values of therapeutic community treatment, (also the advantages of an integrated system approach to substance abuse treatment, including methadone and other medical approaches) to the responsible authorities. 8) It was also possible to create the possibility of a public debate on television, in newspapers and professional journals (not English, I'm afraid) with the businessman / leader/ director/ to explore his treatment regime. 9) He refused to participate. 10) He lost his political and economic support, plus his license to provide treatment. 11) Lessons and experiences from the 20th century, in the context of therapeutic community treatment in the 21st century, in countries without the experience which we are fortunate to be able to draw upon, together with our current levels of broad personal & professional experience, knowledge, skills, values, and standards of treatment and ethics are essential. 12) Less than two months ago, I was invited to travel to a former central and eastern European county, where on this occasion the director of a present day, world wide known "therapeutic community", was invited by the responsible authorities / government departments to lecture and promote the benefits of his methodology, ( please excuse me now, if I sound cynical) which is in present time, that in his therapeutic communities, as long as a community member believes in the Christian God, then if they have HIV or AIDS, then they will be cured, while in his programme. ( incidentally the programme does help people with other problems) 13) I leave this to you, to react to, but if it is possible to do this, why don't we all provide bottles of faith and share this with everyone? (For free). 14) At the moment, ( more present time): 15) There is another "emerging" country, which is considering the development of some 26 new therapeutic communities for substance abuser's, they actually want (amongst other things) to learn form our collective experiences, mistakes and whatever we have succeeded with. 16) Perhaps, we have learned something, in this movement from 1960's passivity to something a little more valuable? 17) The future: This is a beast with many heads and agenda's; the experience which has so far been accumulated is invaluable. ( For example) : 18) Therapeutic communities, whether of the transitional or Cull De Sac variety provide the opportunity for change, for many disadvantaged groups, and most importantly those men, women & children who are often perceived by the mainstream, as having little or no value to society and not worth the effort or expense. 19) There are as I am sure you all know lots of different projects, for different "special target" populations. However, one particular special needs group which very few people care to acknowledge, is women, children and men who have been trafficked for the purpose of prostitution or slave labour. My limited experience to date draws a picture, wherein almost no-one, whether it is government or national treatment provider, is willing in real terms, to accept this group and the challenges that they bring, except in terms of providing temporary or short term crisis treatment. Then ship them back to country of origin, maybe we can do better? 20) Why Not? 21) The answer which I have become familiar with is this: They, "it" is not our problem, they are just in transition, and we are just a transitional country, along the way. 22) Interesting? (The transitional word), perhaps some truth in this expression, in this context, I'm not sure. 23) To the point, if I can. 24) Therapeutic communities, also provide people with the opportunity to change, to move in a different direction, to get better, to heal, and perhaps in some ways, to re-invent themselves. 25) Some time ago, following a number of discussions, an old abandoned monastery was pledged for the purpose of developing the possibility of providing a safe haven, a 21st century modified therapeutic community, for the provision of treatment to these men, women, and children to spend time, to create a new life, to re-invent themselves? (If possible be healed) to maybe find a new future. 26) ( Trafficking in Humans is the 3rd fastest growing economy, slightly behind the sale of arms and drugs) 27) What the project lacks is funding for a minimum of 5 years, to provide long term, multidisciplinary treatment ( not just a couple of months) 28) Agreement of support on a broad European level. 29) Protection from violent traffickers. 30) If there is anyone, on this discussion list, who has the skills, experience, and willingness to bring to this venture, then I and my associates will be pleased to hear from you. 31) As for me, I'll have more time to make available to work with this in 2006. 32) Craig, if you have anything in your archives, which you think could help in this challenge, please let me know. Anthony Anthony Slater, Director: Phoenix Haga. President: European Federation of Therapeutic Communities. c/o Phoenix Haga, N - 1850 Mysen, Norway. Tel: + 47 69 89 82 50. Fax: + 47 69 89 82 51. e-post: [log in to unmask] http://www.phoenixhouse.no http://www.eftc-europe.com