The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive behavioural program for treating substance problems.

CRA is based on the belief that one’s environment plays a major role in determining whether an individual will use alcohol or illicit substances. As such, it teaches individuals how to examine the triggers and the consequences (positive and negative) for substance use, and to then re-arrange their lives so that clean, sober behaviour is more rewarding than is using alcohol/substances.
Accordingly, CRA utilises community (i.e., familial, social, recreational, and occupational) reinforcers to support change in an individual’s drinking or substance using behaviours. In essence, the goal is to rearrange environmental contingencies such that sober behaviour becomes more rewarding than substance abusing behaviour. This comprehensive intervention blends operant conditioning with a social systems approach to address multiple problem areas
Strategies that increase the likelihood that sober behaviour will be supported are taught, and skills deficits are addressed in the process (e.g., problem-solving, substance-refusal, communication). The important role of an adolescent’s caregiver is acknowledged, and special sessions are introduced to teach some of these same basic skills, as well as overall parenting strategies, to the caregivers.

CRA – COMMUNITY REINFORCEMENT APPROACH FOR ADULTS
ACRA- COMMUNITY REINFORCEMEnT APPROACH FOR ADOLESCENTS
CRAFT- COMMUNITY REINFORCEMENT APPROACH FAMILY THERAPY
INFORMATION TAKEN FROM WWW.ROBERTJMEYERSPHD.COM