Applying aspects of the community reinforcement approach to alcohol and drug services

Abstract

The community reinforcement approach (CRA) has been established in the United States for some time and has met with varying degrees of success, although at present there is limited evidence of its use in services in the United Kingdom. This paper describes an adaptation of the CRA applied to community alcohol and drug services in Trafford, Greater Manchester. The paper presents a brief overview of the CRA and how this has influenced the development of two services in Trafford which are managed in partnership by Turning Point and Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust. The Next Step Project provides vocational guidance and employment support. The Connect Project recruits volunteer befrienders within the community who support people who are abstinent or making a positive commitment to changing their alcohol or drug misuse. Both services are described before presenting service outcomes from the first 18 months of operation using the outcome management method of evaluation. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the relevance of these projects to community based services and in particular those working with women.