Community Reinforcement Approach

The Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA) is a comprehensive, cognitive behavior treatment approach that is based in the reinforcement principles of social learning theory. A major premise of the CRA is the idea that environmental conditions play an important role in supporting or discouraging alcohol and other drug abuse. As such, the primary goals of the CRA involve working to rearrange an individual's lifestyle and community in a manner that minimizes positive reinforcement for using behavior and maximizes reinforcement for nonusing behavior. This entry explores the basic principles and treatment components of the CRA as they apply to alcohol, cocaine, and opioids. Further, the entry includes a discussion of current issues and factors related to the effectiveness of the CRA.