Specialized Institutional Programs

Gateway's in-custody treatment programs are highly effective interventions for substance-abusing offenders. In addition to our core treatment model, however, we have successfully modified our treatment design for application across various populations. Most notably, Gateway developed its award-winning modified treatment model for "special needs" offenders, which includes those suffering from co-occurring mental health disorders, and those with physical and emotional disabilities as well. In addition, we have developed comprehensive, gender-specific, trauma-informed treatment programs for female offenders, which use a variety of proven, evidence-based curricula to improve the efficacy of our interventions.

Gateway's Success with Specialized Institutional Programs

Gateway's ability to establish and maintain effective therapeutic community programs was recognized by a noteworthy evaluation of our program at the Estelle Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facility in Huntsville, Texas. The evaluation was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and was conducted by the Change Assessment Research Team of the University of Houston.

The evaluation found that Gateway's program exhibited "careful planning of a holistic treatment approach and comprehensive curriculum," and "deliberate and conscientious staff hiring practices to insure the required clinical experience [and] a successful partnership between security and treatment."

"[Gateway's Estelle program is] one of the finest prison therapeutic communities now operating in the nation, and the leading special needs TC."

Steven Shapiro
Public Health Advisor
Texas Department of Criminal Justice

The report continued: "We found that Gateway has developed a unique substance abuse treatment program for the special needs clients that has: a treatment staff with clinical, as well as substance abuse treatment background and experience, a security staff with a belief in and a commitment to treatment of criminal offenders with substance abuse or dependence, [and] . . . an adjusted confrontation approach." These findings spoke to Gateway's abilities to:

  • Establish and maintain an effective, mature, therapeutic community environment
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with corrections personnel and involve corrections personnel in the treatment process, and
  • Adapt treatment methodologies to meet the needs of particular client populations.

For additional information about Gateway's Treatment Model for Special Populations, contact us.