N.Y. advocacy group pays tribute to therapeutic community pioneer

Friends of Recovery New York this week paid tribute to the late Charles Devlin, a pioneering influence in the development of the therapeutic community (TC) model of substance use treatment. The recovery advocacy organization today issued a news release upon learning of the death of Devlin, who formerly served as chief operating officer of Daytop Village.

For the past six years, Devlin had worked at New York City-based Brightpoint Health, serving as vice president of substance abuse and development for the integrated healthcare organization. Devlin served as president of the New York State Association of Substance Abuse Programs in the mid-1980s and was president of Therapeutic Communities of America in the mid-1990s.

Devlin also was instrumental in the founding of the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities and “was responsible for organizing 23 worldwide conferences to promote networking between substance abuse professionals representing both governmental and non-governmental agencies,” according to the statement from Friends of Recovery New York.