Class Descriptions

Motivational Interviewing

SW716

Credits:	1
Prerequisites:	None

Pathway Associations

Community Change
Global
Interpersonal Practice	Elective (Host)
Mgmt & Leadership
Policy & Political
Program Evaluation
Older Adults
Children & Families

Course Description

Motivational interviewing is a goal-directed, client-centered counseling approach for eliciting behavioral change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence. Utilizing the Professional Training Videotape Series developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, this is a series of skill-sharing sessions will provide a basic introduction to Motivational Interviewing. This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of motivational interviewing techniques. Utilizing numerous materials including video examples from this five-week series of 3-hour instruction and skill-building sessions will introduce motivational Interviewing. Using the video material and supplemental handouts, along with lecture, role-playing practice and group discussion, this course will lay a foundation for participants to begin to develop their clinical skills in helping people accomplish change in areas of difficult behavior. Emphasis will be given to practical application of therapy techniques and troubleshooting difficult and challenging clinical circumstances across a variety of practice settings and populations. An overview of cultural considerations in motivational interviewing will also be provided.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

•Develop a basic working knowledge of motivational interviewing/motivational enhancement.
•Be familiar with the basic tools/skills of motivational interviewing.
•Develop a basic understanding of application of these skills in early engagement, information exchange, and initiation of a plan of action with a client.
•Be familiar with additional information and resources regarding developing motivational interviewing skills.
•Incorporate social work values and ethical principles in planning and implementing motivational interviewing.
•Understand the strengths and limitations related to the current evidence on cultural adaptations of motivational interviewing.

Design

The class format includes video material and supplemental handouts, along with lecture, role-playing practice and group discussion.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course will support students’ developing a vision of social justice, learning to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice in practice. Students will work toward strengthening critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.