Relational and organizational aspects of therapeutic communities as treatment factos: The CFCQ (Climate factors in therapeutic community questionnaire).

SUMMARY. Introduction: The present contribution intends to examine the construct of organizational relational climate as a therapeutic treatment factor in residential treatment settings. In these settings quality of environment, emotional atmosphere and living itself become the subject of community work. In this sense the therapeutic educational group becomes a treatment instrument. The objective is then to devise a questionnaire that may function as a sort of 'thermometer' to measure the health/discomfort of the work group. Methods: Starting from previous research studies, an ad hoc questionnaire was administered to 173 therapeutic community operators working all over Italy. Data analyses focused mainly on validation procedures that led to the construction of the final version of the instrument. Results: Based on these statistical procedures, the final version of the question- naire is composed of 30 items from which three factors emerge. Conclusions: The data proceeding from the research seem comforting as to the ability of the instrument to examine the functioning aspects of educational groups in Therapeutic Communities. That seems to lay the foundations for a further course of reflections and possible interventions through supervision and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]