Dr. Dominique Simon Levine, Founder and CEO
The company was founded by Dr. Dominique Simon- Levine, an applied anthropologist with lived experience and expertise on issues of addiction and the family. She completed her doctorate on the informal social power of mothers on the health and survival of children in Mali. Dominique also was an evaluator for many state and federally-funded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services projects on addiction and treatment, mental illness, homelessness, HIV, and Hep C.
Dr. Simon-Levine materialized the concept of Allies in Recovery by drawing from an academic framework known as Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), which she studied extensively alongside its developer, Robert Meyers, PhD. Their work is showcased in the Emmy-winning HBO documentary “Addiction.” CRAFT, the only approach for families endorsed by SAMHSA, focuses on training and educating the family as the client, rather than directly treating the individual with addiction.
“Through CRAFT, we equip families with the tools to understand usage patterns, to communicate effectively, and to cultivate positive behavioral changes. We guide families through behavioral modification techniques, emphasizing positive reinforcement for desirable behaviors while withholding reinforcement for harmful ones,” says Dr. Simon- Levine.
Moving beyond theoretical frameworks, Dr. Simon-Levine and her team created an entire program that ensures families can apply the evidence-based CRAFT principles in everyday real life. AlliesinRecovery.net also teaches families to navigate the nuts and bolts of the world of addiction and recovery, including working toward engaging an addicted loved one into care and treatment.
Founded in 2003, Allies in Recovery expanded the reach and impact of CRAFT by transitioning to an online format in 2015.
Traditionally, interventions like CRAFT, when conducted by clinicians, could cost families more than $2,500 for 12 sessions. However, Allies in Recovery revolutionized the CRAFT approach by making it accessible and affordable. To date, over 4000 families have been served by Allies. There are affordable individual memberships for $159, or free subscriptions for those who live where their state or county sponsors free membership.
Allies in Recovery’s effectiveness is not just anecdotal. The CRAFT approach has peer-reviewed study results showing that its family training method is the most effective approach for getting addicted loved ones into recovery, at phenomenal rates of 65-70 percent – 3 times greater than private interventions that cost thousands. Allies’ member surveys reveal greatly improved family interactions, increased responsiveness from loved ones with substance use disorder (SUD), and significant reductions in member anxiety. For example, 82 percent of AlliesInRecovery.net members reported significant improvements in how their loved ones with SUD responded to them.
In one instance, Allies in Recovery became the lifeline during a family’s darkest hour. Faced with the challenges of their son’s methamphetamine addiction, they turned to Allies’ program for support. The family witnessed a transformative shift in household dynamics through their implementation of CRAFT techniques. Effective communication, reflective listening, and positive reinforcement became the cornerstone of their interactions, leading to a pivotal moment when their son entered rehabilitation. This family navigated the complexities of addiction with confidence and resilience.
Through CRAFT, we equip families with the tools to understand usage patterns, to communicate effectively, and to cultivate positive behavioral changes. We guide families through behavioral modification techniques, emphasizing positive reinforcement for desirable behaviors while withholding reinforcement for harmful ones
“We transform lives through innovative strategies, evidence-based methodologies, and continuous support. Together, we can overcome the challenges of addiction and build a brighter, healthier future for all,” says Dr. Simon-Levine.
Allies in Recovery is committed to continuous innovation. Plans include integrating AI for monitoring and risk prediction, enhancing the e-learning with gamification and multilingual support, and producing content featuring real-life scenarios about families from around the globe.
The company also actively advocates for change in the area of funding and support for family-focused initiatives to address addiction.
“By investing in family empowerment and training, we can leverage their natural inclination to help and create a robust support network to address the ongoing opioid epidemic,” says Dr. Simon-Levine.
