The primary goal of a Therapeutic Community is to foster growth – your growth as an individual, and the growth of the community as a whole. This is accomplished by changing an individual’s life style through a community of concerned people working together to help themselves and each other. The Therapeutic Community represents a highly structured environment with defined boundaries both moral and ethical. It employs community imposed sanctions and penalties as well as earned advancement of status and privileges as part of the recovery and growth process. Being part of something greater than oneself is an important factor in facilitating positive growth. People in a Therapeutic Community (T.C.) are members, as in any family setting, not patients, as in an institution. These members play a significant role in managing the T.C. and acting as positive role models for others to emulate. Members and staff act as facilitators, emphasizing personal responsibility for one’s own life and for self-improvement. The members are supported by staff as well as being serviced by staff. There is a sharing of meaningful labor so that there is true investment in the community, sometimes for the purpose of survival. Peer pressure is often the catalyst that converts criticism and personal insight into positive change. High expectation and high commitment from both members and staff support this positive change. Insight into one’s problem is gained through group and individual interaction. Each member learns through experience, failing and succeeding and experiencing the consequences: this is considered to be the most potent influence toward achieving lasting change.