Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA)

Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is an abstinence approach program based on psychosocial changes, in which individual’s behavior is reinforced when an effort to control addiction is displayed. Using Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) it is possible to identify what is known as Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence (ABC). Antecedents or what causes the conduct. Behavior has to do with elicited behavior. Consequence how to handle the behavior. If the behavior is one that should be eliminated, according to FBA it should be ignored. If the behavior is one expected to cause a change it should be positively reinforced. A “Happiness Survey” is recommended to identify positive reinforcement to increase the repetition of the behavior. Moral support of the person receiving the reinforcement by a family member or
These groups are formed by people who have experienced addiction or alcohol problems in their life and try to help others by recommending strategies that proved to be effective for their own recovery. One of the most recognized groups is “Alcoholic Anonymous” (AA). In AA meetings people are able to encourage other seeking help to find ways to abstain from using alcohol. A recommendation made in the text is that when selecting one of these programs it is important to look for one that has proved to be effective for its members. Among the programs identified other than AA, are Moderation Management, Secular Organization for Sobriety, Self Management and Recovery Training, and Women for Sobriety. Spirituality plays an important role in many peoples' lives and is another strategy used to promote abstinence. As I mentioned before Alcoholic Anonymous seeks to help its member to deal with sobriety. AA is also a spirituality lead program. It is not affiliated with any religious belief, what makes it available to anyone seeking treatment no matter what religious principles they