The basic premise of the Art Feelings Workshop is that painting is a vehicle of expression. The primary purpose of the process is to assist each resident in experiencing his or her own feelings and to help each participant acquire new insights. The workshop serves to help the clients articulate their feelings in a safe, non-threatening arena.

As part of its Quality Assurance efforts, Daytop Village operates an Outcomes Management System (OMS) in all its residential and outpatient programs. The OMS continuously assesses the agency's treatment effectiveness, its efficiency, and our clients'

satisfaction with the services we offer. It measures client progress in treatment on various aspects of recovery from drug abuse. From their admission to treatment until 3 months after discharge from Daytop, all clients are regularly requested to complete a confidential questionnaire and express their drug craving and use, addiction severity, vocational/educational, legal, medical, social and psychological status and related needs. Based on the Therapeutic Community model of addiction treatment, the OMS questionnaire also monitors the following dimension of behavior and attitude change:

• Developmental Dimension (maturity, responsibility, and values) (see chart)
• Socialization Dimension (drug lifestyle, social image, work attitude, and social skills)
• Psychological Dimension (cognitive skills, emotional skills, and self esteem)
• Community Membership (understanding of rules, and participation)

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In combination with socio-demographic data and profiling Daytop's diverse client populations (e.g., by age, gender, criminal justice involvement, medical conditions, etc.), OMS results are fed back to the Daytop Quality Improvement System and all staff. Internally, OMS results assure that Daytop remains responsive to its client population, and they provide the basis for service improvements and program monitoring. Externally, the OMS serves Daytop's accountability obligations and accreditation requirements. The OMS was implemented in all residential facilities 10/01/99, and in all outpatient programs in February 2001.

Exemplifying the data the OMS provides, this chart documents the drug use by adolescents, divided by gender, in 2000. This type of information is taken into account when updates and revisions are made to treatment curricula.

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The Recreation Department assures that the resident's physical needs are met as a part of the overall comprehensive treatment plan. Daily exercise is an essential part of recovery. When the mind and body are being attended to, the emotional dimension is also experiencing an uplifting. Intramural and individual sports are played throughout the year depending upon the season, i.e. softball, basketball, track, weightlifting, swimming, aerobics, handball and volleyball.

Women in treatment (adult and adolescent) have distinct needs and issues that must be recognized and addressed. The problems women encounter may be as mild as conflicting messages about gender roles or as intense as sexual abuse and violence. It is the responsibility of the Women's Programs Division to insure that Daytop provides a haven for discussion and resolution of these problems.

Once a woman finds the courage to face her past and seek help, she often experiences difficulty in divulging it openly and honestly in a coed setting. It is for this reason that Daytop initiated a new program in our residential facilities, targeting incoming women. This new program limits mixed gender activities for a clinically determined period, while intensifying specialized groups to afford these women the opportunity to discuss their commonalties without fear of judgement, and promotes female bonding that continues throughout treatment. The program focuses on building ego strength and self-esteem, empowering the women to move forward to drug-free lifestyles.

Women with children face added adversity. They live each day with the shame and guilt of neglecting parental responsibilities, and in many cases are forced to leave their children with family members or foster care programs when accepting the opportunity of treatment. While growing and making positive changes, reuniting with their children becomes yet another challenge. The Women's Program conducts parenting education that provides residents with the information and encouragement to overcome their anxieties and address this major responsibility. Social workers also monitor their progress and assist in reuniting their families.

Another vital component of the Women's Programming Division is the annual conferences established for all adult and adolescent females throughout the agency. Forums led by professional guest speakers expose our women to successful and positive role models. Additionally, specialized workshops recognize the courage of Daytop's women while reinforcing Daytop's commitment of upholding the struggles of our female population.