Portugal – Following the recent three-year renewal of Quinta das Lapas Therapeutic Community’s certification to the ISO 9001:2008 “Quality Management System”, Dianova announced the publication of the preliminary report of a longitudinal study scheduled until 2014: “From Dependence to Re-integration – a study of substance abusers’ social trajectories after program completion.”
In February 2010 a study was launched to assess on the one hand the impact of Quinta das Lapas Therapeutic Community’s (TC) educational and therapeutic program (Torres Vedras – Portugal) on the reintegration of former substance abusers, and, on the other hand, the center’s various performance indicators, including retention rates and program completion. The study, which will last until 2013, is conducted by the Center for Studies and Research in Sociology (Lisbon University Institute), under the direction of Pr. Susana Henriques, with funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology.
Excerpt from Introduction
The present study aims to gain better knowledge on the profiles of the beneficiaries of Dianova’s Quinta das Lapas therapeutic community (Portugal), having completed full treatment course between 1999 and 2009. Beneficiaries’ social and demographic characteristics are presented, in addition to substances used and consumption patterns prior to program.
This preliminary report is the first step of a larger project which aims to study former substance abusers’ various social trajectories.
Because treatment itself is an important variable influencing the results, it appeared necessary to control the latter and, accordingly, to make the choice to study one single institution, so as to isolate the treatment factor. The institution runs an educational and therapeutic program which offers empirical control guarantees over quality indicators – as the Quinta das Lapas therapeutic community was the first to receive ISO 9001:2008 quality management system certification.
Links (In the Portuguese language only)
- Preliminary report (summary version)
- Preliminary report (full report)
- Biographical note: Pr. S. Henriques
