How one understands motivation with offenders will directly effect what one does (or doesn’t do) to increase it. Join this workshop for an in-depth look at the questions, “Why do people change?” “How do people change?” What is motivation and how can corrections staff raise motivation with offenders? This two-day institute is a skill-based training that focuses on skill-building (“how to’s”) for probation/parole staff working with mandated offenders. Seven (7) modules will be presented over the two days, utilizing multimedia presentations, interactive lecture and facilitated small and large group exercises. A mixture of small group discussions, actual videos of probation report in’s, case scenarios and full room exercises keep the training pace lively and engaging. Stop the arguing—learn how to bypass resistance to start probationers moving toward healthy outcomes. Learn how to use this approach in “micro-bursts”—motivating offenders in 15 minute “report In’s”.

Module highlights include:

• Module 1 – The Science of Human Behavior Change: Why do people change? How do people change?
• Module 2 – The Foundation to Motivational Interviewing (The “Spirit” of MI)
• Module 3 – Resistance Examined: What Increases Resistance And How It Can Be Reduced
• Module 4 – Client-Centered Interviewing Skills: “You’ve Got To Get the Offender Talking”
• Module 5 – The “Zip Code” of Behavior Change: Recognizing, Responding and Reinforcing Change Talk
• Module 6 – What To Do If You Don’t Hear Any: Strategies for Eliciting Change Talk
• Module 7 – The Final Destination: Eliciting and Strengthening Commitment Talk

Upon completion, participants attending this training will be able to:

• Define the concepts of client ambivalence and client discrepancy and explain why these conditions influence positive behavior change.
• Review four principles of motivational interviewing increase client-staff rapport and increase the client’s readiness to change.
• Be able to explain why direct confrontation impedes behavior change.
• Be able to demonstrate, in direct practice, three resistant-lowering techniques that will improve the engagement of reluctant clients.
• Be able to identify two activities that will continue the skills development of MI until the next training session is convened.

Join this advanced training to take the next steps: increasing change talk and moving to commitment. This session will take you beyond your new skills for increasing connections-offering focused training on building an offender's level of importance for positive behavior change and ensure they have the necessary confidence to see the change(s) through. The greatest number of probationers have both arguments within them, a side that wants to be rid of the problem (pro change), and a side that doesn't believe change is possible or beneficial (stay the same). Participants will learn how to successfully negotiate offender ambivalence. Learn "key questions" that will turn the work from increasing the readiness for change to gaining the commitment to start actual "first steps." Examine actual probation report video's that demonstrate the "do's and don'ts" for bypassing resistance and increasing change talk-even in brief interactions.

Upon completion, participants attending this training will be able to:

• Discuss the role ambivalence plays in keeping offenders "stuck" and how to increase the "pro-change" side of this "fence-sitting."
• Go further to recognize "change talk" and how to respond to it (to summon more!).
• Describe the behavior change constructs of importance, confidence and readiness.
• Demonstrate the continuum of motivational Interviewing practice during skill-building exercises.
• Examine actual video footage of probation/parole report in's and offer critiques on motivational strategies.

Professional training in motivational interviewing, as with many other topics, is often delivered skill-based workshops. However, recent studies (Clark, 2005, Miller & Mount, 2004, Rollnick, Mason & Butler, 1999) examined how to further practice implementation within probation departments and agency settings. From this research, implications for onsite implementation and quality control strategies have been developed to begin sustainability.

Your continuing “onsite” work includes three efforts:

1). Half-day meeting (or prearranged conference call) with Directors / Managers, Supervisors, and Department Administrators to discuss issues of implementation oversight, process and procedures

2). Practice-Tapes with Feedback:

• Offender and Officer sign a “release of information to allow audio-taping for educational purposes.” This release can easily be rescinded at any time by either party.
• Explanations are given to the offender at the time this release is to be signed describing that the taping is not for court/judge review (or for any other community entity) but is entered into only for educational and training purposes.
• Department purchases a digital recorder (<$75 avg.) that allows the recording to be transferred into a computer via USB cable.
• Sessions are recorded simply by placing the digital recorder between the offender and probation officer. Once the session has been completed, the audio file is uploaded into a department’s computer (Windows® Audio File format) and sent via email attachment to a coder (MI trainer who has completed training—Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity MITI Coding System—and holds proficiency as an MI “coder”). This coder reviews the audio tape, summarizing the content and offering commentary.
• Coder sends back an Excel® spreadsheet via email attachment that lists summary of various behavior/response counts from session content. (i.e., reflective statements, resistance-lowering techniques, change talk, MI-adherent responses, etc.)
• Inserted into the session recording are interspaced taped statements made by these MI-trainers/coders who offer feedback and suggestions to the probation agent regarding session content. This feedback may be generalized (pro’s and con’s of the session) or specific to a juncture in the dialogue (For example: “You might have tried to use a “key question” here instead of a amplified reflection.”)
• Agency executives are included in the coding arrangements to determine issues of progression, availability and handling of these audio tapes.

3.) Selection of quality assurance providers

Departments/Agencies can elect to build in-house sustainability. With this option, staff are identified and trained further to help ensure model fidelity (in-house quality assurance and monitoring). These quality assurance providers must have completed this MI 1 & 2 series, and then be identified by the department as having the requisite skill levels and be recognized by Mr. Clark and his staff at the Center for Strength-Based Strategies (CSBS) for having the fundamentals in place to go to the next level.

Selection will be determined by three criteria, (1) As this is a progressive series, staff must have completed the first two Motivational Interviewing training sessions, (2) Be identified by department/agency administrators as interested and competent and (3) Have agency/department selections endorsed by the CSBS from a review of their audio-taped sessions that demonstrate the identified staff have the requisite skills and competency levels.

*Note: This designation as a quality assurance provider is granted only for fidelity work for the providers employer. This licensure does not extend to work with any person or group outside of your department or agency.

Upon completion, participants (and participating departments/agencies) electing to access this third phase of training will be able to:

• Demonstrate a wide range of competencies in the use of Motivational Interviewing
• Access off-site supervision (Internet/E-Learning) for direct practice feedback via supervisory review
• Disseminate MI information within your own agency/department staff as an in-house quality assurance trainer.

Technical Assistance Provider:
Michael D. Clark, MSW, LMSW, is a member of the International Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), specializing in direct practice work with court-mandated client populations. He is one of the few MINT trainers nationally who has served child abuse/neglect populations as well as addictions and mental health clients. Michael is a contractual trainer for the US Department of Justice, National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). He has presented throughout the United States, as well as Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and Micronesia/Pacific. Mr. Clark is author to over 30 book chapters, articles and monographs for motivational issues within the fields of mental health, addictions and child welfare programs. Mr. Clark is the author to a two-part series article on Motivational Interviewing for probation and parole staff.