Developing Partnerships with Peer Workers Using the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is not about installing motivation in people but rather evoking it from them. A key in MI is helping a person discover their own motivation for the change. MI involves not only particular skills, but also an underlying attitude, a particular state of mind and heart with which you engage in a helping relationship.

In this two-day training from the Leadership Training Institute, we will dive deep into the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing: Partnership Acceptance, Compassion & Empowerment (PACE). Peers will have opportunities to begin learning how to operationalize the spirit of MI by learning the 4 Tasks of MI:

– Engaging – Can we walk together?

– Focusing – Where are we going?

– Evoking – Why would you go there?

– Planning – How will you get there?

Peers will also learn how Motivational Interviewing can be used along with the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, to make certain they are using the correct skills for the stage of change exhibited by the client and not falling into traps like Expert, Persuasion, Time & Wandering.

This training is integral in developing leadership skills for people with shared lived experience in HIV, Hepatitis C, Harm Reduction, PrEP and Criminal Justice.

Training objectives:

As a result of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Define Motivational Interviewing as it relates to developing partnerships with clients.

2. MI with the Stages of Change.

3. Explain the “spirit of motivational interviewing” (PACE).

4. Develop partnerships with their clients using MI.

Intended audience:

Peer Workers who are working in the community with clients who are seeking ways to change difficult or challenging behaviors.

Additional information:

This course qualifies current NYS Certified Peer Workers for 3 hours of CEU credits.