Getting off the fence: procedures to engage treatment-resistant drinkers.

Historically there have been few options for individuals seeking help for treatment-resistant loved ones with substance abuse problems. This article describes a program with empirical backing called Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). This cognitive-behavioral treatment teaches the concerned significant other how to use behavioral principles to reduce the loved one's drinking and to encourage the drinker to seek treatment. Additionally it assists the concerned significant other in alleviating other types of stress and in introducing meaningful reinforcers into his or her own life.