treatment and support services which is higher than other traditional family interventions.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse( NIDA) research found that 74 per cent of family members using the CRAFT approach managed to successfully engage and support their loved ones to access treatment, support and wider prosocial activities, including people who were previously resistant to treatment.
I’ ve been delivering CRAFT practitioner training for well over a decade now and it’ s an absolute honour to be able to train and coach people in this beautiful evidence-based approach. Every time I see those lightbulb moments where people realise they have the power to change things using love as a therapeutic tool it reminds me why this approach matters so much. When I deliver my training I’ m not just talking about the theory – I’ m actually bringing the whole programme to life. Practitioners and families love going through this training, but don’ t just take my word for it:
Alana from New Way Scotland:‘ The energy was amazing and this is by far the best training course I have ever been on.’
Debs from WithYou:‘ George is so passionate about CRAFT and his training makes me want to be a better worker for my clients and a better person at a core level. It’ s the best training I’ ve ever been, on hands down.’
In the training sessions we explore motivational interviewing techniques, communication skills, functional analysis, positive reinforcement and harm reduction strategies – all wrapped up and delivered with kindness, humanity and love. I make sure the training is empowering and practical – we don’ t just talk about CRAFT skills, we practice them – a lot!
Participants leave the training not just with a certificate but with the confidence and clarity to use what they’ ve learned right away.
We also know that working with families can be hard at times and that’ s why we’ ve built in an ongoing CRAFT community of practice for everyone who completes the training. I deliver this in partnership with my besties Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs( SFAD) and every 12 weeks we come together online to support each other, share what’ s working, and keep that spark of hope alive.
ARCHITECTS OF CHANGE No one knows the person struggling with substances better than their family members, and that’ s why it makes complete sense to equip families with the behavioural change skills needed to support their loved ones to access treatment, reduce harm and build a future where everyone can thrive. CRAFT isn’ t about wait ing for that‘ rock bottom’ to happen, it’ s about meeting people where they are – with love, compassion, and proven evidence-based strategies to influence change. Don’ t forget, small steps carry you long distances
I’ ve seen it first-hand time and again – when families recognise that their love has power they become passionate architects of change, which is a beautiful thing to be part of.
So whether you’ re a commissioner looking to improve outcomes, a service provider wanting to support your staff, or a family member desperate for answers, I want you to know there’ s always hope and I’ m here to help you find it. You can reach me at info @ georgecharlton. com. Let’ s work together to save lives, empower families, and build a future where love truly does have the power to heal.
George Charlton is a trainer and consultant, georgecharlton. com
CRAFT WORKS 100 % of family members and loved ones reported significant reductions in anger, anxiety, depression and negative physical symptoms.
National Institute on Drug Abuse( NIDA)-funded study. Published in The Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 10, 3, 291-308
CRAFT MOTIVATION
CRAFT teaches families how to motivate their loved ones in a way that’ s loving, compassionate and grounded in kindness. It’ s not about blame or shame, it’ s about practical strategies empowerment that brings people back to family connection, health, and hope. In the CRAFT approach families learn to:
• Use motivational conversations that truly make a difference
• Use positive reinforcement to encourage healthy behaviour change
• Spot the signs of an overdose and use naloxone to save a life
• Set helpful boundaries with love, not conflict
• Prioritise their own wellbeing – because family members deserve a good life too.
Families going through CRAFT report feeling less anxious, more confident in supporting their loved ones and more connected as a result of the whole CRAFT training process. CRAFT is all about creating a safe, loving environment where change for the person using substances can truly begin. I’ ve seen it happen time and time again – CRAFT really works!
WHY CRAFT MATTERS
If you’ re a commissioner or service provider, you already know the challenges – high caseloads, staff burnout and families in crisis. What we offer with CRAFT is a chance to do things differently – to create a whole-family recovery model that’ s evidence-based, cost-effective, and most importantly, life-changing. And not just for families, but for the practitioners delivering the intervention and the service delivery model as a whole. CRAFT really is a transformational programme.
By investing in community reinforcement and family training at a local, regional and national level you really can:
• Increase treatment engagement rates
• Reduce drug-related deaths, relapse and family breakdown
• Widen the supply of naloxone.
• Build sustainable recovery and harm reduction models that strengthen communities
• Motivate and energise the staff and the services you commission to reconnect with the reasons they decided to do this work in the first place.
As one participant said after a recent CRAFT training session, is like hitting‘ Control, ALT, and Delete’. It’ s a total reboot for services and staff and a chance for everyone to feel inspired and reconnect with the mission of saving lives.
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