A therapeutic community for personality disorder in a high secure intellectual disability service: inception and early experiences

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to explain the reasons for use of a therapeutic community for personality disorder in a high secure intellectual disability service.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the rationale for, and early experiences of, a therapeutic community intervention for people with mild intellectual disability and personality disorder in a high secure setting.FindingsNo empirical findings are reported. Evaluation is being undertaken and will be reported in due course.Originality/valueThe therapeutic community approach has not been applied in forensic intellectual disability before, and this paper therefore describes an original and, in many ways, radical intervention.