Motivational Interviewing (21 hrs) (Prerequisite: Addiction Counseling Skills or Clinical Masters)

“Motivational interviewing is a client‐centered collaborative style of conversation designed to strengthen a person’s motivation for and commitment to change. MI is counselor‐guided in that the counselor is skilled at managing ambivalence, eliciting change‐talk and honoring the client’s autonomy about taking the next step toward a commonly agreed-upon goal” (Miller & Rollnick, 2014). Over 1500 studies to date have demonstrated the effectiveness of motivational interviewing at increasing client engagement, retention, compliance and improving treatment outcomes. Motivational Interviewing is an evidenced-based counseling approach used to assist individuals to identify their readiness, willingness, and ability to make change. The CAC Clinical Training Program at the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) is committed to a process of integrating the Motivational Interviewing style, spirit and strategies into all levels of training and to support clinical supervision of motivational interviewing as a counseling style.