Motivational Interviewing Foundations

Course overview

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based practice for helping people engage in and maintain healthy behavior change. A key skill for working with underserved populations and individuals experiencing ambivalence or reluctance about change, MI can be blended with other interviewing and skill-building techniques and is considered a foundational skill within Safety Organized Practice.

This introductory course provides participants who engage families and youth with an opportunity to develop foundational MI skills and strategies. The training introduces core MI components and processes and includes opportunities for skill practice.

This course meets foundational training requirements for Motivational Interviewing (MI) to be implemented as an evidence-based practice in alignment with Family First Prevention Services. Courses meeting advanced MI training requirements will be available through the Northern Academy in Fiscal Year 2026/2027

What will I learn in this training?

After attending this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify the four elements of MI Spirit
• Identify the four MI tasks
• Identify the seven kinds of change talk vital for motivational conversation
• Identify at least five elements of an effective change plan.
• Name two MI consistent behaviors and two MI inconsistent behaviors
• Form open questions, affirmations and reflective questions given different scenarios and prompts