Socially Reinforced Contingency Management

Contingency Management, or "CM", is the idea that if you give someone a "reward" for engaging in an activity they are more likely to continue that activity. Generally, it takes the form of a monetary reward when used as an intervention for addiction, however, based on our own experience and the experience of our advisors, we are putting a different spin on it. If you want to read more about CM and how it pertains to substance use here is a good article.

Back to the spin I mentioned we are putting on traditional CM. We all know that addiction doesn't just impact the individual, but the entire family unit. Traditional CM has a direct impact on the individual, but an indirect impact on the family. What if we could directly impact both?

Meet Accountable Social Reinforcement

At the end of the week, family members and providers receive a message celebrating their Accountable Member's accomplishments pertaining to abstinence and hitting their recovery goals. They can then send the Accountable Member a message to cheer them along!

This has the following impacts:

• It keeps family members and providers apprised of and engaged in the recovering individuals progress. This helps build a positive feeling about the work the recovering individual is completing.

• The positive messages to the individual helps to open lines of communication, and reinforce the recovery behavior we are targeting.