Corrections Community

I'm  interested in ideas and any efforts people have used in designing methods for practicing "motivational interviewing" skills at work. What sort of practice sessions have people developed? How are you evaluating comptency? What sort of outcome meassures are your using to determine if the application of MI skills is having an effect with recidivism outcomes?There is some very unique and interesting work that is being done in Virginia in this area. They have created what they are calling "learning team meetings" and "subject matter specialists".Ray Ferns, CEORestorative Correctional Services

Ray - We are currently engaged in developing a package for the purpose of enhancing staff skills in motivational interviewing. The multi-media package will include video and written material and will include ideas for implementing and coaching mi skills at various points of contact with offenders, such as assessment, supervision meeting, sancitoning, etc. It is intended to be used by agencies that have already trained their staff in mi.

This has been a major project for us, and will be done by year's end, and hopefully well before then. Keep your eye on the NIC website for an announcement of its release.

I am interested in motivational interviewing as well. I am working in HK . We will try to run MI group for some ex-offenders, aiming at increasing their motivation to change. Yet, I am still looking for outcome measure tools, such as motivation measure inventory. Hope we can share more in future.