Before and now: The labour situation of clients in a therapeutic community

Abstract This article aims to identify changes in the work situation among problematic drug users (PDU) clients of an international therapeutic community located in Portugal, after the completion of treatment. In this article, we analyse these changes on the assumption that entry to the labour market is essential for effective social reintegration. To achieve our aim, we carried out a pilot study with an analysis of the administrative records of a therapeutic community and then held telephone interviews with 63 former clients. Different work-related factors were compared, with special attention being paid to the changes registered. We concluded that, after treatment, although there was greater instability, educational qualifications and the number of PDU employees with an occupation increased. There was a decrease in factory workers and an increase in administrative functions. First jobs were obtained via a more formal channel, while the most recent ones were obtained on own initiative. This leads to the conclusion that after an initial period of greater difficulties the PDU participants in this study manage to gain higher autonomy and better integration into the labour market.