Definitions for "Therapeutic community"
A residential community offering specialist treatment for residents. The term was originally used by Maxwell Jones in the 1950s to describe an approach to the treatment of people with mental health problems in which patients and staff were encouraged to ignore us/them barriers and contribute to the healing of all. The term is now widely used to describe units which have none of the characteristics described by Maxwell Jones as essential elements of a therapeutic community.
A term of British origin, now widely used, for a specially structured mental hospital milieu that encourages patients to function within the range of social norms.
A concept in mental health care that views the total environment as contributing to prevention or treatment.