[How do self-help agencies work for recovery of drug dependence in Japan?]

DARC (Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center) is the first and largest private half-way house agency for drug addiction in Japan, in which the programs are centered on 12 step meetings and the staff is made up of only those recovered from drug dependence. The purpose of this report is to elucidate how DARC works in the recovery from drug dependence. We made two studies: staff in 30 DARC facilities and 108 users in 7 male residential facilities. The results showed that 330 clients with drug dependence were participating in DARC programs at the time of research and about 600 clients use the programs each year. According to our research, three fourths of the users could maintain sobriety. Although many users had severe mental symptoms and socioeconomic difficulties, most users evaluated DARC programs highly to help them recover from these conditions. DARC rated highly because it provides companionship for recovered addicts and flexible frameworks to enhance drug addicts' motivation to recover, such as accepting dropouts and restarting programs, the provision of facilities away from areas where users were at high risk of relapse, and various program modalities.