How can we help you train your staff in Motivational Interviewing?
MI Center for Change provides two options for organizational training:
1. Customized training & implementation
2. Open enrollment online MI Academy classes
If you are interested in MI Center for Change providing customized MI training for your agency or group, contact us to book a call!
If you are interested in purchasing spots on our online MI Academy, you can purchase these at a discount.
Graduates of the MI Academy courses will receive a Certificate of Completion for the course attended. Read more about CE here.
Experiential practice is essential to learning Motivational Interviewing.
At MI Center for Change, we provide engaging, experiential training in MI. Your staff will not just sit back, watch videos or dry PowerPoint presentations and be expected to learn content. We know that experiential education is the most effective way to learn and integrate MI!
If you are learning a new language, or a new sport or instrument, it takes actual practice and experience to get better. Attending an online video class on the topic doesn’t translate to speaking competently in that new language, or playing well on the football field!
Customized training & implementation
Much of the work we do is providing MI training & consulting directly to organizations. Depending on the learning outcomes of the organization, we create a customized training plan & consultation to support integration of skills. We want to learn about who your staff work with, common challenges they face, the level of MI fluency you are seeking for staff, and more. Then, we create a customized training plan for you.
Our staff really struggled with feeling too much of an obligation to be fixers. Since we have been using these courses and working with Hillary, we feel like our staff have a foundation to turn to. It has helped us to remember we don’t have to have all of the right answers, keeps our participants in the driver's seat and helps us stay in the copilot role.
Leigh Barton
Program Manager, Striving to Thrive,
United Ministries
As soon as staff took Motivational at the beginner level, we saw a direct correlation in the next 30-60 days after that that indicated staff were drawing out 2-3 needs per veteran just because we were using reflective listening, affirmations and open ended questions. We were addressing more challenges and needs that our veterans and families were facing, and that’s what got me hook, line and sinker to continue on this MI learning path because this works.
Brandon Wilson
Director of Veterans Services of the Carolinas
At OnTrack WNC, we value motivational interviewing skills for each of our team members! Our Client Services Reps use the skill to help clients determine which of our programs might best help them reach their financial and housing goals. Our counseling and education team members regularly use MI to support clients when they are feeling stuck. The same is true for our Leadership Team when supporting our staff. The format for this class was really great, since it created a “season” of MI learning over several weeks, rather than a one-day learning opportunity that could easily be forgotten. Thank you for being the MI champion in Asheville and WNC, Hillary!
Amanda Hunsucker
OnTrack WNC Financial Education & Counseling Program Director
Benefits of MI
- Keep the burden of change off YOUR shoulders
- Work less hard, get better results
- Feel confident tackling difficult conversations & ‘difficult’ clients
- Become a more successful helping professional
- Feel more effective with your clients
- Improve client outcomes (evidence-based practice, y’all)
I'm Hillary Logan Bolter
founder of MI Center for Change.
We provide engaging, high-quality training in Motivational Interviewing.
Essentially, we help people get really, really good at Motivational Interviewing.
Through our comprehensive MI Academy Certificate of Advanced Practice in Motivational Interviewing (CAPMI), we are gonna get REAL about developing and advancing your skills in MI (and have FUN!!).
If you are looking for MI training that is flexible, open enrollment (perfect for new hires!), MI Academy may be the best fit for your organization.
Training Options within MI Academy
Self-paced AND live virtual trainings
Our academy includes three MI learning levels and more for your staff along the MI learning continuum.
Level 1:
Foundations of MI
12 hours (6 self-paced, 6 live virtual)
Contact us for group pricing.
Level 2: MI Intermediate Skills Lab
15 hours (12 live virtual hours, 3 self-paced via our MI & Ethics course)
Contact us for group pricing.
Special topics in MI self-paced courses
1 to 3 hour self-paced course options on special topics including: MI and Ethics, MI and Veterans, MI and Burnout Prevention, and more!
Contact us for group pricing.
Motivational Interviewing and Substance Misuse
6 hours self-paced
Contact us for group pricing.
Certificate of Advanced Practice (CAP) Year-Long Intensive MI program
We often have small groups/teams or individuals from an organization hoping to train MI internally to join us for our CAP program.
Contact us for group pricing.
THE BREAKDOWN
What You Get via MI Academy
User-friendly course platform
HIgh quality, live, interactive & experiential training in MI provided by MINT member trainers
Staff progress monitoring & reporting to supervisor or agency lead to support course completion
Group registration discount
Help Desk support
Open enrollment Motivational Interviewing training options from beginning to advanced
MI Academy provides over 50 hours total Continuing Education hours through Level 1, 2, and 3 MI classes as well as our short asynchronous courses. Staff receive a Certificate of Completion for each course completed. For a listing of Continuing Education provided click here.
From MINT trainer quality to our administrative support, we guide your staff along their MI learning continuum.
Want More Details?
Read below for more info on the three levels of classes through MI Academy.
LEVEL 1
Foundations of Motivational Interviewing (12 hours)
Develop foundational skills in Motivational Interviewing. This consists of 6 self-paced modules (6 hours), and 6 hours of MI live trainer facilitated skills practice sessions focused on the OARS skills delivered via four 1.5 hour Zoom meetings. Learn the spirit of MI, OARS skills, & 4 Processes of MI.
Click here for a week-by-week breakdown of the course
- Module 1: Spirit of MI. The absolute foundation of Motivational Interviewing is the spirit of Motivational Interviewing. I like thinking of “spirit” as the attitude we bring to the helping relationship. In this module, we will explore the confounding complexities of behavior change, roadblocks to listening, stages of change & feel the difference between persuasion versus Motivational Interviewing.
- Module 2: Essential Components of MI. In this module, we go over the foundational components of MI: the Righting Reflex, Spirit, OARS skills, and the 4 Processes. OARS are the micro skills of MI, and stand for Open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflections, and Summaries. We will also discuss 3 styles of communication, the history of Motivational Interviewing & the research base. The most important of the OARS skills, Reflective listening, begins in this module.
- Module 3: Engagement with OARS! In this session, we will talk about pitfalls and tops related to the first process of MI, Engagement. Time is spent covering simple versus complex reflections, and how to begin to guide conversation with reflections.
- Module 4: Rowing with OARS! OARS skill development continues! Even MORE reflection practice is covered as we explore 7 types of complex reflections. Then, we move into Affirmation skill discussion and practice, as we identify client strengths to increase self-efficacy. Reflections and Affirmations are “simple, but not easy” skills that are essential to the art of Motivational Interviewing. We cover the differences between Affirming and cheerleading and help set YOU up for increasing your affirmations with clients.
- Module 5: Focusing with OARS! We discuss the second process of MI, Focusing, Agenda Mapping, and utilizing Summaries to consolidate and guide conversation. See a MI demo in a brief encounter. In this module, we practice writing summaries while learning about the importance of Change Talk. What’s Change Talk anyhow? The acronym DARN-CAT is introduced, as we learn how to tune our ears to catch client Change Talk.
- Module 6: Evoking & Planning with OARS! OARS skills practice continues as we explore Open-ended questions, scaling questions, and strategic methods for evoking Change Talk. The third process of MI, Evoking, is explored as we learn to LISTEN for change talk, REFLECT change talk, and PULL FOR MORE. 10 Methods for evoking Change Talk are covered. We address methods for “rolling with resistance,” so you will gain confidence in tackling those ‘difficult’ client conversations. Learn the common pitfalls to the fourth process of MI, the Planning Process, and ways to create effective change plans with (not for!) your clients! Time is also spent providing overview of MI provider goals, and additional learning resources.
Values Bonus Resource: Understand the importance of values in MI, including developing discrepancy as one source of motivation for change.
In addition to the 6 modules of video content, handouts and practice exercises, participants have access to 6 hours of live virtual MI skills practice sessions with MINT trainers. During these sessions, more skills practice in OARS will be covered as well as Q&A. Participants have 12 weeks to complete the modules, and 12 weeks of access to the rotating 6-hours of live skills training.
Level 1 Official Objectives
6 Hours of Modules
- Explain the theoretical basis, history, and research basis of MI
- Describe the four elements of the MI spirit: compassion, autonomy, empowerment, and collaboration
- List the three Styles of Communication and explain the applications of each
- Assess client readiness through the Stages of Change
- Apply methods for working with clients in the precontemplation stage of change
- Identify the Fixing Reflex & the 12 Roadblocks to communication
- Demonstrate seven types of complex reflections
- Apply guiding with reflections to client conversations
- Identify the differences between simple and complex affirmations
- Apply methods of affirmations with various client scenarios
- Describe and apply skills in each of the four tasks of MI: Engagement, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning
6 Hours of MI Playground Sessions
- Demonstrate MI core communication skills: Open Ended questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries
- OARS: Explain the differences between Open and Close-ended questions
- OARS: Identify the differences between simple and complex reflections
- OARS: Explain the benefits of reflective responses over questions
- OARS: Analyze the differences between affirming and praise
- OARS: Create effective summaries that consolidate and guide client conversation
LEVEL 2
Skills Lab (12 hours)
This intermediate training is focused on improving MI skills through experiential practice. Each week, we take a deeper dive into the four processes of MI while practicing OARS skills. This training consists of four 2.5 hour live virtual Zoom meetings delivered over one month. Make sure the dates and times work for your schedule! (link to this or have it be a click info thing). This course also includes a 3-hour self-paced Ethics of MI course.
Click here for a week-by-week breakdown
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Week 1: We will start with a super-fast review of MI, & watch some “MI in action.” Then, we will jump into OARS skills practice within the first process of MI, Engagement. We will explore the pitfalls of the Engagement process, as well as methods for effective, rapid (or swift) engagement.
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Week 2: OARS skills practice continues! How do we consolidate and guide conversation using OARS around specific change goals? In this session, we will continue experiential practice in the second process of MI, Focusing. Again, we explore the pitfalls of this process, as well as focusing techniques with multiple target behaviors and agenda setting.
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Week 3: Continued OARS experiential practice in the third process of MI, Evoking. We want to camp out and help people connect more deeply to their own personal change talk. We will practice listening for differences between change talk and sustain talk, and methods to elicit and reinforce change talk.
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Week 4: So when a client FINALLY has enough fuel for change, it’s time to transition to the Planning process in MI. How do we create an effective change plan? We will continue to hone our OARS practice as we dial into the fourth process of MI, Planning. You’ll have a chance to both guide and be on the receiving end of creating a MI change plan in this session! You will learn how to identify client signs for change plan readiness, ways to develop effective change plans, and address planning issues that arise in MI consistent manner.
- This course also includes access to a 3-hour self-paced Ethics & MI training, where you will learn when to apply MI and when to choose other styles of communication. You will also learn ethical dilemmas present in each of the 4 processes of MI.
Level 2 Official Objectives
Session 1
- Demonstrate MI core communication skills (OARS)
- Develop MI skills and strategies specific to each of the four tasks of MI: Engagement, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning
- Engagement Task: Practice demonstrating effective empathy
- Engagement Task: Demonstrate engagement techniques with difficult-to-engage with clients
Session 2
- Focusing Task: Practice collaborative focusing techniques while supporting client autonomy
- Focusing Task: Demonstrate the use of agenda mapping and methods for focusing conversation with multiple target behaviors
- Focusing Task: Demonstrate agenda setting and bringing up difficult topics with clients
Session 3
- Evoking Task: Explain the difference between change talk and sustain talk
- Evoking Task: Describe ten methods to elicit and reinforce change talk
- Evoking Task: Demonstrate the applications of Ask-Offer-Ask to enhance collaboration and support autonomy
Session 4
- Planning Task: Identify client signs for change plan readiness
- Planning Task: Practice ways to develop effective change plans
- Planning Task: Apply Brief Action Planning questions to planning with client
What do my staff receive when I purchase a spot for them?
LEVEL 3
Uplevel Advanced MI (12 hours)
This training consists of four 3-hour live training Zoom meetings over the course of one month, as well as individualized feedback on YOUR MI practice sessions. Make sure the dates and times work for your schedule! (link to this or have it be a click info thing) . In this 12-hour advanced course, we dig into what it really means to use MI to the level of fidelity.
What is MI Fidelity?
MI fidelity is the threshold of demonstrated skills required by providers in all of those amazing evidence-based practice research trials. In this course, we are going to look at MI through the lens of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) coding system. This is not a course in how to code, but rather utilizing the coding system as a personal learning tool. Through this lens, you will learn ‘what is MI’ and ‘what is not,’ how to listen for the global elements used to code MI, as well as explore the provider behavior counts, with particular focus on Reflection to Question ratio. You'll learn what the MI-adherent and MI-non-adherent behaviors are (what we are striving toward, and what we're avoiding). We will listen to lots of good and not-so-good MI sessions to tune our ears to the complex elements of MI. And we will do lots of practice, because learning a new skill takes practice. Individual feedback is a strong component in this course.
In addition to receiving coaching and guidance during our group sessions, you will be provided with software to record your own sessions. Using artificial intelligence MI coding software, you can record and gain instant coded feedback on as many of your MI sessions as you'd like during the course.
BONUS! It's a HIPAA compliant platform for telehealth if you want to record sessions with clients, with their written consent, of course). Listening to your OWN sessions and receiving this coded feedback will give you real data about where you are on your journey toward MI fidelity.
Click here for a week-by-week breakdown
Week 1: We will briefly orient to the MI framework, OARS, 4 Processes & Change Talk. We will look at fidelity through one of the MI coding systems, the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI). What does it really look like to be displaying the MITI global domains of Partnership & Empathy over the course of a MI conversation? (Yes, you can MEASURE empathy!). We will also listen to MI examples and explore ways we can reach fidelity with MI Partnership & Empathy. Then, we will complete an in-session Real Play that you will have the opportunity to record (only if you want!). Throughout this course, you can upload as many of your MI practice sessions as you’d like to the HIPPA-compliant Lyssn platform that provides MI coded feedback on your work. At the end of each session, you will set personal learning goals for your MI practice.
Week 2: MI is a guiding style of communication and there is a focus around which we are supporting the resolution of ambivalence. We will explore and practice ways to artfully guide the conversation toward change. This week we will explore the other two MITI global domains: Cultivating Change Talk & Softening Sustain Talk. Again, we will listen to MI examples and explore ways to reach fidelity in these areas. Another opportunity for real-time real play practice occurs with the focus this week on Evoking Change Talk skills.
Week 3: Through the MITI, we look at the interviewer behavioral counts that support MI fidelity. We will get really good at assessing R to Q ratio (Reflection to Question), while listening for those evocative Open-Ended Questions and practicing advanced change-oriented reflective listening. After all the good and not-so-good MI demos we have reviewed, it’s time to use our newfound lens to look at our own MI work. We will explore self-assessment as we continue to practice, practice, practice with one another. And, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to turn in a sample of your MI conversation for individualized MITI coded feedback from MINT member trainers Hillary Bolter or Chris de Beer. This is in addition to the Lyssn coded sessions! As Bill Miller said, if you are learning how to play the piano, you don’t just tell your piano teacher how you think you are doing, you play for them! This is your chance for individualized coaching feedback on your MI learning progress!
Week 4: Pulling it all together! We've explored MI fidelity through the MITI lens, looked at our own sessions and progress, and done lots of practice, practice practice! You know we will practice some more! Plus, we will enjoy watching perhaps the best MI Real Play ever recorded and discuss the art of MI in practice. There will be a chance to set MI learning & practice goals to take with you on the road, and practice affirming yourself and each other on the amazing work you’ve done!
Level 3 Official Objectives:
Session 1
- Demonstrate OARS skills within each of the four tasks of MI: Engagement, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning
- Identify the internal experiences and external expressions of the MI spirit element of compassion
- Identify MI fidelity utilizing MITI coding system behavior counts
- Apply MITI fidelity measures to recorded audio sessions
Session 2
- Identify the internal experiences and external expressions of the MI spirit element of acceptance
- Identify MI fidelity utilizing MITI (Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity) coding system global domains
- Measure partnership & empathy spirit elements of Motivational Interviewing utilizing the MITI system
- Demonstrate an empathetic & partnering approach across the four tasks of MI
Session 3
- Identify the internal experiences and external expressions of the MI spirit element of collaboration
- Explain three MI adherent and three non-MI adherent provider behaviors
- Demonstrate MI practice in giving feedback via Ask-Offer-Ask tool
Session 4
- Identify the internal experiences and external expressions of the MI spirit element of empowerment
- Measure interviewer methods via the MITI system for softening sustain talk and cultivating change talk
- Apply MI methods with sustain talk & change talk
- Discuss methods for cultivating the longevity of MI spirit in practice
Take a peek inside of our MI Academy to see!
From our Level 1 Foundations MI course to our entire MI Certificate of Advanced Practice (CAP) program, learners have access to bonus features and more!
Hear from organizational leads that have hired us
Frequently asked questions
Can I see my staff progress in the courses?
Yes! We are happy to give regular reports to the supervisor or agency contact. We send extra communication to participants enrolled through agency enrollment, as well as tech support. We want your staff to complete the courses too!
Should I purchase spots in the MI Academy, or hire you to do a customized training?
That totally depends on your needs! Is open enrollment important, or do you want a training event? How many staff members do you want to train? Are you looking for one course, or a multi-level organizational MI implementation? Contact us to book a call so we can help you explore these two options! We want the best fit for your organization too!
What organizations does MI Center for Change work with?
We have been training in Motivational Interviewing for 12 years, and have worked with many different disciplines. We have trained those who work in child welfare, probation and justice-involved, nurses and those who work in healthcare, nurses, therapists & social workers, psychologists, teachers & early childhood educators, supervisors and organizational leaders, addiction counselors, peer support, coaches, financial advisors, and more. Motivational Interviewing can be adapted to so many different areas! If you work with clients who experience ambivalence about change, Motivational Interviewing is an essential tool to add to your toolbox! It is evidence-based, with over 2,400 clinical trials that support its efficacy.
Terms and Conditions
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