CRAFT-based Approaches Family Tree

CRAFT, or Community Reinforcement And Family Training, is an evidence-based practice for families struggling with a loved one's substance use. CRAFT has three goals: encouraging the loved one to enter into treatment, reduction of the loved one's substance use, and increased well being of the family member. CRAFT has since been combined with other evidence-based approaches that have slightly different goals and skills. None of the CRAFT-based approaches (combinations of CRAFT with other approaches) have yet been subject to ongoing rigorous study (to my knowledge). This doesn’t mean that they aren’t effective, but it does mean that there has not been enough study to call these approaches “evidence-based practice,” but are seen instead as being “evidence-supported”. This family tree includes all of the major CRAFT-based resources that I am aware of. 

The Invitation to Change Approach combines CRAFT with Motivational Interviewing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Goals for this approach center more around increasing overall wellbeing of the family member and their loved one, with less direct emphasis on entering into treatment and more emphasis on practicing skills that create the context for a vibrant and meaningful life, for all family members involved. The addition of motivational interviewing skills encourages empathetic communication and increases connection over time. The addition of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy practices offer ways to increase family’s psychological flexibility and contact with values through concepts like Self-Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Willingness.

SMART Recovery Family & Friends combines aspects of CRAFT with Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. SMART’s main goal is “Self-Management” and so offers less focus on attempts to influence the loved one towards different behaviors and adds REBT skills for the family members to manage their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Please note, this CRAFT-based Approaches Family Tree is how I conceptualize the relationships within this work and other experts within the field may have different perspectives. This Family Tree is also not exhaustive; I tried to capture what I can see as the main approaches and sources for this work at this time, and yet there are many other organizations and individuals who participate and contribute to the field who are not represented here, but who might be housed within one of the nodes below. If you have any perspectives or edits that you wish to suggest, please contact me through comment or email… and let me know!