Community reinforcement and family training
Encyclopedia
Community reinforcement approach (CRA) and community reinforcement and family training approach (CRAFT) are behavior therapy approaches to treating substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...

.

Research

The community reinforcement approach has considerable research supporting it as effective. Community reinforcement has both efficacy and effectiveness data. Started in the 1970s, community reinforcement approach is a comprehensive operant program built on a functional assessment of a client's drinking behavior and the use of positive reinforcement and contingency management
Contingency Management
Contingency management is a type of treatment used in the mental health or substance abuse fields. Patients are rewarded for their behavior; generally, adherence to or failure to adhere to program rules and regulations or their treatment plan...

 for non-drinking. When combined with disulfiram (an aversive procedure
Aversion therapy
Aversion therapy is a form of psychological treatment in which the patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being subjected to some form of discomfort...

) community reinforcement showed remarkable effects. One component of the program that appears to be particularly strong is the non-drinking club. Applications of community reinforcement to public policy has become the recent focus of this approach.

An off-shoot of the community reinforcement approach is the community reinforcement and family training approach. This program is designed to help family members of substance abusers feel empowered to engage in treatment. Community reinforcement and family training (CRAFT) have helped family members to get their loved ones into treatment. The rates of success have varied somewhat by study but seem to cluster around 70%. CRAFT is one of the only family aimed treatments with proven results for getting people with drug or alcohol problems into treatment. The program uses a variety of interventions based on functional assessment including a module to prevent domestic violence. Partners are trained to use positive reinforcement, various communication skills and natural consequences.

Drug policy

Unfortunately these programs are not widespread amongst addiction counselors. Indeed, many addiciton counselors are tied to a twelve-step model that has much less research support. Recent trends by NIDA has been to help deploy these intervention techniques. Several successful programs are underway.

Professional organizations

The Association for Behavior Analysis
Association for Behavior Analysis
The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a nonprofit professional membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and...

 International has a special interest group in clinical behavior analysis and behavioral counseling ABA:I. The Association for Behavior Analysis International is developing a special interest group for behavioral pharmacology and addictions. The Association for Behavior Analysis
Association for Behavior Analysis
The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a nonprofit professional membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and...

 International serves as the core intellectual home for behavior analysts. The Association for Behavior Analysis
Association for Behavior Analysis
The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a nonprofit professional membership organization with the mission to contribute to the well-being of society by developing, enhancing, and supporting the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis through research, education, and...

 International sponsors two conferences/year—one in the U.S. and one international.

The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies was founded in 1966. Its headquarters are in New York City and its membership includes researchers, psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, social workers, nurses, and other mental-health practitioners, researchers, and students who...

 (ABCT) also has an interest group in behavior analysis, which focuses on clinical behavior analysis
Clinical behavior analysis
Clinical behavior analysis has its origins in applied behavior analysis and behavior therapy. It is sometimes referred to as third-generation behavior therapy.-Current models in clinical behavior analysis:...

. In addition, the Association for Behavioral and Cogntive Therapies has a special interest group on addictions.

The World Association for Behavior Analysis, a subsidiary of the Behavior Analyst Online Organization, offers a certification in behavior therapy that includes Community Reinforcement as well as Community Reinforcement and Family Training as content areas for the test http://worldcenterba.com/index.html.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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