Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice that promotes healthy behavioral changes by strengthening a person’s own motivation for and commitment to those changes (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). It was introduced to help people with substance use disorders (Miller, 1983) and more than two thousand clinical trials have evaluated its efficacy in the treatment of, behavioral health (Lundahl, Kunz, Brownell, Tollefson, & Burke, 2010), medicine (Rollnick, Miller, & Butler, 2008), social work (Hohman, 2015), corrections (Stinson & Clark, 2017), and education (Rollnick, Kaplan, & Rutschman, 2016). Additionally, MI has been shown to work well with a variety of cultures and age groups (Hall, 2001; Lundahl & Burke, 2009), and to be particularly effective with minority populations (Hettema, Steele, & Miller, 2005).

This class will introduce participants to Motivational Interviewing (MI) practice and skills. Participants will learn about the fundamentals of MI including understanding ambivalence, the MI Spirit, and how we can best support others considering change.  This workshop will include ample opportunities for topic discussion and practice in foundational listening skills, developing focus, and recognizing, evoking, and responding to change talk.

The Trainers:

Alicia Shiver and Lindsay Worth are members of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and the co-owners of MITC Training based in Albuquerque, NM, USA. MITC was established in January 2017 and has since trained upwards of 8,000 people in motivational interviewing and other evidenced based practices. Together Lindsay and Alicia have over 35 years of experience in behavioral health, addictions, clinical research, corrections, and education settings.

Alicia Shiver is a licensed addictions and mental health therapist in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. She is currently acting as the Treasurer of MINT and is a Scientific Research Manager at the University of New Mexico, Center on Alcohol, Substance Use & Addictions (CASAA). Her professional interests include motivational interviewing, public health, harm reduction, neurodiversity, and community-based participatory research.

Lindsay Worth is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and has worked in mental health and addictions research for 23 years. She has had the opportunity to work in a number of settings including prisons, schools, treatments centers, and tele-health environments. She currently spends time coding and coaching in MI using the MITI and MICA and serving as the MI Training Certification Coordinator for MINT.