Tratamentos ofertados em Comunidades Terapêuticas: Desvelando práticas na Amazônia Ocidental

Treatment for substance abuse in Therapeutic Communities: Understanding practices in Western Amazon. This paper presents the activities employed by Therapeutic Communities (CT in Portuguese) as treatment for disorders related to psychoactive substance abuse in Porto Velho, Rôndonia. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, based on research of specialized literature and Brazilian law. Overall, 18 institutions, represented by their leaders, participated in the survey. The results showed a predominance of philanthropic institutions in detriment of public services; shortage of specialized professionals; high dropout rates; greater offer of care for men; religious activities centered on prayer and abstinence as a therapeutic goal; lack of admission, eligibility, discharge, and post-discharge criteria; as well as disarticulation with official mental-health network. Finally, these institutions lack coordinated interventions, ranging from mapping and CT registration to training, planning, evaluation and monitoring. They do not prioritize the effectiveness of clinical protocols or the provision of humanized services, as should be done by any health service.