Practicing Advanced Motivational Inteviewing Skills to Enhance Engagement

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworker, Supervisor

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: Experienced child welfare services personnel working directly with clients or staff transitioning from one child welfare position to another

Intended Objectives:

• Review core concepts and philosophy of Motivational Interviewing
• Practice of skill-building using MI strategies to address resistance patterns
• Increase knowledge of MI strategies as effective interventions to engage clients in completing case plan objectives
• Understand and be able to utilize basic and more advanced motivational techniques

Topics Include:

• Basic MI definition and techniques
• Difficulties in employing MI strategies within the CWS environment
• Ambivalence Review: The Dilemma of Change
• Cultural and Contextual Considerations
• Disproportionality Issues
• Practicing MI techniques: O.A.R.S.
• How to use MI at all stages of case management

CalSWEC Competencies Addressed:

1.4 Student understands the influence and value of traditional, culturally based childrearing practices and uses this knowledge in working with families.

2.6 Worker understands the dual responsibility of the child welfare caseworker to protect children and to provide services and support to enable families to care for their children.

3.4 Worker conducts effective casework interviews.

3.6 Worker is aware of his or her own emotional responses to clients in areas where the worker’s values are challenged, and is able to utilize the awareness to effectively manage the client-worker relationship.

3.11 Worker can engage clients, especially non-voluntary and angry clients.

3.07 Worker assesses family dynamics, including interactions and relationships, roles, power, communication patterns, functional and dysfunctional behaviors and other family processes.