The adolescent community reinforcement approach (A-CRA) is a behavioral treatment for alcohol and other substance use disorders that helps youth, young adults, and families improve access to interpersonal and environmental reinforcers to reduce or stop substance use.[1][2]
A-CRA is a variant of the adult CRA model, which has a history of development and effectiveness research starting in the 1970s.[3] A-CRA was adapted to be developmentally appropriate for adolescents, which included adding sessions for parents/caregivers.[4] The goal of A-CRA is to improve or increase access to social, familial, and educational/vocational reinforcers for adolescents to achieve and sustain recovery. That is, therapists assist adolescents with learning how to lead an enjoyable and healthy life without using alcohol or other drugs.[5] The treatment manual describes an outpatient curriculum that is intended for adolescents (ages 12 to 17) and young adults (ages 18–25). with DSM-5 alcohol and/or other substance use disorders.[1][2] A-CRA also has been implemented in intensive outpatient and residential treatment settings.[6][7] A-CRA includes three types of clinical sessions: adolescent alone, parents/caregivers alone, and family (adolescent with parents/caregivers).[1][2] To address the adolescent's needs, goals for treatment, and reinforcers, clinicians select from 19 A-CRA procedures (e.g., communication skills, problem-solving, and participation in positive social activities), all with the goal of improving life areas and supporting abstinence from alcohol and other drugs.[8] Practicing skills during sessions is an important aspect of A-CRA counseling, and every clinical session ends with a homework assignment (mutually-agreed upon by adolescent and clinician) to apply skills learned during the session.[1][4] Clinicians practicing A-CRA are trained in all 19 procedures and complete an extensive certification process.[8] A-CRA has been widely implemented in the U.S.,[8] Canada,[9] and Brazil.[10]
As of 2017, five randomized clinical trials of A-CRA have been published. The Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) study, which was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), was a randomized controlled study of five manual-guided treatment models for adolescents with cannabis-related disorders.[11] All five models demonstrated significant pre-post treatment improvements in number of days abstinent and the percent of adolescents in recovery during the 12-month follow-up period.[12] Within its study arm, A-CRA was the most cost-effective model; across both study arms, A-CRA was the most cost-effective model to involve parents in treatment.[12] Additional randomized clinical trials have shown A-CRA to be effective for homeless, street-living youth and young adults,[7] youth with juvenile justice involvement,[13] and as a continuing care approach for adolescents after residential treatment.[14][15] Secondary evaluation studies suggest that A-CRA shows potential to be an effective treatment for adolescents with co-occurring psychiatric disorders[16] and youth with opioid use problems.[17]
In a 2002 article assessing the economic costs of A-CRA, the average cost per completed treatment event was $1,237 at one site and $1,608 at another site.[18] Using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation, the 2017 cost per A-CRA treatment episode ranges from $1,683 to $2,188.[19]
Although therapist fidelity to an evidence-based treatment manual is believed to predict treatment outcome, this relationship has been difficult to prove.[20] A 2017 study found that higher ongoing fidelity (model competence) ratings of 91 A-CRA therapists' clinical sessions predicted improved adolescent substance use outcomes.[21] This finding suggests that the A-CRA model of clinical certification and supervision, which rates A-CRA counseling sessions using a standardized rubric, is a central part of model effectiveness.[21]
^ abcdeGodley, S.H., Meyers, R.J., Smith, J.E., Godley, M.D., Titus, J.C., Karvinen, T., Dent, G., Passetti, L.L., & Kelberg, P. (2001). The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) for adolescent cannabis users (DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 01-3489, Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) Manual Series, Volume 4). Rockville, MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from "Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ abcdGodley, Susan H; Smith, Jane Ellen; Meyers, Robert J; Godley, Mark D (2016). The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach: A Clinical Guide for Treating Substance Use Disorders. Normal, IL: Chestnut Health Systems. ISBN978-0998058009.
^Carvalho, R., Crepaldi, K., Oliveira, M., Anderson, L., Calfat, E., Mancilha, G., Nascimento, D., Katz, P., Filho, L., & Fraser, J. (April 2012). Strategies for A-CRA implementation in Brazil. Poster presentation at the 2012 Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE), Washington, DC.