What is CRA? The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive behavioral 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 drugs. As such, it teaches individuals how to examine  the triggers and the consequences (positive and negative) for drug use, and to  then re-arrange their lives so that clean, sober behavior is more rewarding  than is using alcohol/drugs.

Accordingly, CRA utilizes community (i.e., familial, social, recreational, and occupational) reinforcers to support change in an individual’s drinking or drug using behaviors. In essence, the goal is to rearrange environmental contingencies such that sober behavior becomes more rewarding than substance abusing behavior. This comprehensive intervention blends operant conditioning with a social systems approach to address multiple problem areas

Strategies that increase the likelihood that sober  behavior will be supported are taught, and skills deficits are addressed in the  process (e.g., problem-solving, drug-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 Reinforcemet Approach for Adolescents

CRAFT- Community Reinforcement Approach Family Therapy

Information taken from www.robertjmeyersphd.com