introduction

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The Community developed from the efforts
of a small group of people from various helping
professions who had seen Transactional Analysis
used with more seriously disturbed clients and
wanted to set up a project to explore the possibilities
of this approach. The Community began life late in
1987 in Telford, Shropshire and in 1991 moved to
Birmingham in a property managed by a Birmingham
Housing Association, which had by then assumed
responsibility for the project. Connect Therapeutic
Community was established as an independent
organisation in 1999.

Connect Therapeutic Community is an innovative
project that offers intensive long and short term
psychotherapy, both residentially and in a day
programme, to people suffering from severe
emotional and psychological disturbance.
The approach and methods used are specifically
for helping people to solve serious and
life-threatening problems such as
self-harm, eating disorders and
aggressive acting out.

Transactional Analysis (TA) is the model of
psychotherapy in use. This focuses particularly
on the dynamics of how people relate to each
other, and also on how behavioural changes
can affect the responses we get from other
people. Self-limiting and defeating behaviours
can be highlighted in a caring, responsive
environment and modified in such a
way as to allow residents to experiment
with new behaviours and test peoples' responses.

The community has developed a methodology from
TA theory that supports a social care model with
safety and security as priority. TA is also a model
that focuses very much on contracts.
Residents and day members contract into a set
of rules and structures which are designed to
create a safe environment. Staff are trained
to use these contracts as the source of their
authority to maintain caring relationships.

The Residential Community

19 - 21 Park Road
Moseley
Birmingham
B13 8AB

tel: 0121 449 2204
fax: 0121 449 6124

email:admin@connecttc.org

INTRODUCTION

The Residential Community
The Day Community
Individual and Group Work

Connect Therapeutic Community

The residential community is for those who need
a 24 hour, highly structured, intensive service to
challenge long term, self defeating behaviours
that have prevented them from living successfully
and satisfyingly in the wider community.

The Community is an approved contractor for
residential services with Birmingham City
Council Social Services Department as a
residential home for 10 people.

The residential community is registered with and
monitored by the National Care Standards
Commission. The Directors would be pleased to
make copies of inspection reports available.

Transactional Analysis (TA) is the model of
psychotherapy in use. This focuses particularly
on the dynamics of how people relate to each
other, and also on how behavioural changes can
affect the responses we get from other people.
Self-limiting and defeating behaviours can be
highlighted in a caring, responsive environment
and modified in such a way as to allow residents
to experiment with new behaviours and test
peoples' responses.

All the people who join the Community have
problems with relationships and the business of
being together on a daily basis raises many
issues and provides opportunities for learning.
The most important of these opportunities is to
make secure attachments to members of staff and
other clients and to claim this as a place in which
to belong and feel safe and accepted. There is a
lot of support, companionship, laughter, love and
commitment. members are expected to engage
actively in their own therapy and to identify for
themselves what they need. The therapeutic
process is based on a series of contracts about
how these needs will be met, and a lot of
structure is provided which creates safety and
enables people to function within the
Community as they develop the internal
resources to order their own lives.

The Day Community

The day community is a Monday to Friday,
10am - 4pm service, working with clients with
similar issues to those in the residential
community, but who are still managing to
maintain themselves in independent living
and experiencing this as difficult.

The structure includes formal therapy and
groups on subjects such as life skills
and values, to support the client in
improving the quality of their
current situation.

Individual & Group Work

For clients not able to participate in a daily
programme, Connect is able to provide
weekly one to one therapy or therapy
groups during the evenings.

The contents of this website are
available in an information pack
'Connect Therapeutic Community'.
To request the pack click here

www.connecttc.org

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Referrals

Statements

APPENDIX TO CONNECT THERAPEUTIC
COMMUNITY IINFORMATION:-
Service User's Guide and Admissions - 16 March 2004
It may be useful for referral and funding agencies to be clear that our policy
with regard to long term psychotherapy has now changed.

We have, in the past, offered a contract where service users could stay for as
long as necessary to be able to leave without further psychiatric services.
This meant that some very disturbed clients stayed for up to 5 years. In the
current funding environment this has resulted in a reluctance by purchasers
to fund any but the most chronic cases. We have therefore changed our
programme to a maximum of 2 years with a clearly defined contractural leavingd
date. This type of contract is also problem specific with clear boundaries
on the work to be undertaken.