UNIVERSITY OF THE CORDILLERAS
College of Criminal Justice Education
MODULE in CA3 (Therapeutic Community Modality)
Course: CA 3
Course Title: Therapeutic Community Modality
Course Credits: 2 units
Contact Hours/week: 3 hours lecture/week
Prerequisite: Criminology 1/CA1
Course Description:
The course covers the study of therapeutic communities as an approach to rehabilitation of person
deprived of liberty (PDL).
Course Outcomes: At the end of the trimester, the students are expected to have:
1. Explain the therapeutic community model of counseling related to
treatment of PDL’s.
2: Apply the ethical standards and laws related to TC
3: Integrate relapse prevention and recovery programs
4: Explain the overall goals and objectives of the TC and identify the basic
components. Identify contributions made by forerunners of today's TC, describe distinctive
features such as language, "community as method" and rational authority.
5: Explain the role of abstinence in developing positive lifestyle changes. Develop an
understanding of the importance of a self-help group in maintaining abstinence.
6: Identify the importance of integrating social and psychological goals within the treatment
setting.
Module 11
This module is an adaptation of the Therapeutic Community Curriculum of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment
THE PROCESS OF SELF-CHANGE AND INTERNALIZATION
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students are expected to:
Identify the types of self-change expected of TC residents
Describe the positive change in self- identity expected from the TC program
Define the internalization of behavior change and provide at least three examples of evidence
that internalization is occurring
Instructional Materials:
PowerPoint slides
Resource Sheet
Teaching-Learning Activity/Lesson Proper:
When change occurs, residents do not adopt behaviors and attitudes simply to comply with TC rules. They
make fundamental changes in the way they live and perceive themselves. Residents are expected to make
changes in the following areas:
Self-care: Residents must learn personal hygiene, grooming, and appropriate dress, as well as habits and
attitudes essential to maintaining recovery. Improved self-care represents a change in feelings and
perceptions of self- worth.
Self-control: Residents must learn to restrain impulsive behavior (such as cursing, making threats, lashing
out, or leaving) in response to what other people say or do. Improved self-control represents understanding
that one’s problems are not caused by other people.
Self-management: Residents must learn to think about consequences before taking action, to delay instant
emotional gratification, and to develop healthy emotional coping skills. Improved self- management
represents an understanding that one has self-defeating behaviors to control. Self-understanding: Residents
must understand the connections between their past experiences and present behavior, attitudes, and feelings.
Improved self- understanding represents an ability to see patterns in one’s life.
Self-concept: Residents must develop a positive sense of self-worth and a sense of purpose in their lives. An
improved self-concept occurs when residents realize they can change their own lives and make a difference
in other people’s lives.
Self- identity refers to how individuals perceive themselves, how they believe they differ from others, and
the degree of self- worth and sense of purpose they experience.
A transformation is expected to occur in a residents’ self- identity, from a person who uses drugs or engages
in criminal behavior to that of a productive, worthy, and active member of mainstream society.
Residents experience identity change when they
• Recognize that their existing self- identity is false and based on the past
• Realize that others will understand and accept them if they express their true thoughts and feelings
• Experience accomplishments in the TC program that allow a new self- identity to emerge.
This module is an adaptation of the Therapeutic Community Curriculum of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment
Internalization of change is the process of accepting, practicing, and applying what residents have learned in
the TC to new situations inside and outside the program. Internalization requires the disruption of previous
thought and behavior patterns, which may evoke anxiety, anger, skepticism, resistance, or defiance as the
resident struggles to let go of old patterns. A resident who is simply adapting to the TC may not be
internalizing change.
Internalization occurs when
• Learned changes become a natural part of a resident’s daily activities.
• Learned changes are self- initiated and applied to new situations.
• New learning takes place quickly, and few mistakes are made.
• Skepticism of TC teachings decreases.
• Frequency and severity of rule-breaking decrease.
• Participation in TC activities increases.
• A resident displays a positive work ethic in a job or school outside the TC.
• A resident uses problem solving and coping skills in new or demanding situations.
To internalize change residents must
• Have certain essential experiences
• Have certain essential perceptions
• Actively participate and become involved in the TC. Essential experiences include
• Emotional healing from past physical, psychological, and social distress
• Social relatedness and caring within a healthy and prosocial environment
• Subjective learning that promotes self-efficacy and self-esteem.
Essential perceptions include
• TC treatment is effective.
• I am making progress.
Residents must participate actively and become involved in the TC. The process of internalization does not
occur automatically as residents advance through the stages of the TC program. Residents must become
immersed totally and full participants in the activities of the TC.
Enhancement Activity/Outcome:
The Process of Self-Change and Internalization
Instructions
1 Hour
In your journal, write about a change you have made recently in one or more
of the following categories:
This module is an adaptation of the Therapeutic Community Curriculum of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment
Self-care: Personal habits and attitudes essential to self-care
Self-control: The control or elimination of impulsive behavior
Self-management: Successfully managing feelings and attitudes
that influence how one copes with problems and challenging
situations
Self-understanding: The ability to make connections between past
experiences and present
behavior patterns, attitudes, and feelings
Self-concept: The positive perception of oneself.
Check all the situations in the following list that caused the change:
Affiliation with a community or group that values the changed behavior
Having a role model
Being removed from a situation or proximity to a person who
prevented the desired change from occurring
Instruction on how to make the change
Adopting a new value or ethic that supports the change
Becoming older, wiser, and more mature
Becoming responsible for oneself or others in a way that requires the
change to occur
Becoming aware of the consequences of not making the change
Gaining insight or becoming aware of feelings that had prevented
the desired change from occurring
Experiencing a general sense of positive well-being or a decrease in
mental distress.
1. Is the change now a natural part of your daily life?
2. Can you maintain the change in new situations?
Journal Entry #10
This module is an adaptation of the Therapeutic Community Curriculum of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment
1. Students are required to have one journal using excel. The design and format will be
dependent on the student provided it has all the elements required for this course. (Design
10 minutes and format is included in the assessment) Journals shall be shared with the instructor using
google drive to be updated every meeting.
2. Eleventh Journal Entry. The student shall answer the following questions
a. What was the most useful information you gained from this module?
b. How do you think this information might in the work of a TC staff/worker?
Further Readings:
De Leon, G. (2000) Therapeutic Communities: Theory, Model and Method. New York: Springer
Publishing Company, Inc., 2000.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
References:
This module is an adaptation of the Therapeutic Community Curriculum of the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment