Course Description:

This course is based on a publication by SAMHSA and is available at the National Library of Medicine about motivation and intervention in clinical treatment.  According to the introduction “Motivational intervention is broadly defined as any clinical strategy designed to enhance client motivation for change. It can include counseling, client assessment, multiple sessions, or a 30-minute brief intervention. This [course] examines the elements of effective motivational approaches and supporting research. Motivational strategies are then correlated with the stages-of-change model . . . to highlight approaches that are appropriate to specific stages. Recommendations are presented for providing motivational interventions that are responsive and sensitive to differing cultural and diagnostic needs, as well as to different settings and formats. This [course] concludes with a description of an increasingly accepted type of intervention known as a brief intervention, which is useful outside of traditional substance abuse treatment settings.”  This course serves as an excellent resource for mental health professionals who would like to build or refresh their knowledge about motivational intervention in clinical settings, particularly when brief treatment approaches are necessary.   

Psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists can benefit from this course. This course may also be helpful for other practitioners, such as midwives and dieticians and nutritionists who may want to use motivational intervention in their clinical work with patients.   This course is appropriate for beginning and intermediate level practitioners who wish to learn more about enhancing motivation for change and who wish to develop their clinical skills in this area.

Author: SAMHSA

Learning Objectives:  This course will provide a professional with an overview of motivational intervention in clinical settings.  Specifically, a professional will:

·    Identify the elements of effective motivational approaches.

·    Determine which motivational strategies are correlated with which stages of change.

·    Identify the key components of the FRAMES approach and brief intervention.

Citation: AHCPR Archived reports, Put Prevention Into Practice and Minnesota Health Technology Advisory Committee SAMHSA/CSAT Treatment Improvement Protocols 35. TIP 35: Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment;  Chapter 2—Motivation and Intervention. Reviewed by TM DiDona, PhD 2018 and found to be current. For a full list of current references, please Click Here