Syllabus

Master of Social Work

SSWO 652 – Motivational Interviewing

Credits - 3

Description

Motivational Interviewing is a way of collaborating with clients empathetically and in a person-centered way that helps clients to find their own motivations for change. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of motivational interviewing and will have the opportunity to practice intensively within the context of the social work profession. Students will learn core principles of motivational interviewing including expressing empathy and avoiding arguing, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance and supporting self-efficacy. We will explore enhancing strategies for promoting individual change in primary healthcare settings and the use of motivational interviewing in achieving better health outcomes.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

School of Social Work Program Outcomes:

Graduates of the UNE SSWO will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and leadership in the following:

1. Practice social inclusion to enable people, populations, and communities to fully participate in society, enhance human bonds in the context of cultural diversity and ensure improved quality of life and equitable resource distribution. EPAS Competencies 2 & 3
2. Engage in culturally-informed relationship building, being respectful of the complexity and diversity of contexts and circumstances. EPAS Competencies 3 & 6
3. Utilize theories of human behavior, social systems and social inclusion when offering interventions with people and their environments. EPAS Competency 8
4. Promote ethical reflection, critical consciousness and shared decision-making based in social work values and with consideration of the broader contexts of the world in which we live. EPAS Competency 1
5. Balance the roles of helpers, activists, and advocates through collaboration with communities to build healthy and sustainable resources. EPAS Competencies 2, 5, & 6
6. Engage as critical consumers and producers of research as it relates to assessment, intervention and evaluation of clinical and community practices. EPAS Competencies 4, 7, 8 & 9
7. Practice person-centered and collaborative community partnerships across diverse settings. EPAS Competency 6

Course Objectives

Through the completion of their assignments, students will demonstrate their ability to:

1. Apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients. (EPAS 1)
2. Utilize Motivational Interviewing skills with diverse clients, communicating the clients’ perspectives of their lives and situations. (EPAS 3, 6, 7, 8)
3. Engage clients as experts of their own experiences. (EPAS 3)
4. Use and translate research evidence on Motivational Interviewing in a specific setting/population to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery. (EPAS 4)
5. Use empathy, reflection, and other Motivational Interviewing skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies. (EPAS 6)
6. Demonstrate ability to set an agenda/focus with a client to determine target behaviors. (EPAS 8)
7. Reinforce and evoke change talk from clients regarding the identified target behavior, guiding clients toward change. (EPAS 8)
8. Select appropriate intervention strategies/plans based on the client’s needs, wants, and goals. (EPAS 8)
9. Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate the MI interventions by using an evidence based fidelity measure. (EPAS 9)

Assignments

A variety of learning activities are designed to support the course objectives, facilitate different learning styles, and build a community of learners. Learning activities for each week include reading, podcasts, videos, role play/real play, handouts, self-reflection, and discussions. 

Community of Practice – 10-minute Role Play/Real Play with Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code     

You will have the opportunity to practice your Motivational Interviewing skills in a small group setting known as a Community of Practice (CoP) in weeks 2, 4, 6 & 7. In your small CoP group you will be able to coach each other (using MI skills) as well as receive feedback and coaching regarding your own work, all done in the spirit of Motivational Interviewing. Go to your CoP group to review the assignment with the peers you will be working with directly. You will have the opportunity to rotate through the different roles that are part of this activity. One will be the client, another the clinician, another the observer, and the last, the coder, rotating through each role until all have the opportunity to engage in each role. (client, clinician, and observer coders).

Reflective Practice Journals based on podcast

In weeks 3, 5 & 8, students will select one of the following podcast episodes related to co-occurring disorders and respond to specific journal prompts. 

• Leaning into faith 
• Please listen for the whisper
• Stitching things together 
• Listening from the heart

Discussions

Discussions will help you dive deeper into the modalities presented throughout this course and learn as a community with your fellow students. You are expected to participate actively and in a respectful manner. Some discussions offer the opportunity to submit video responses. 

Exams

Two exams will give students the chance to demonstrate what they knew at the beginning of the course and what they learned by the end of the course.

Grading Policy

The School of Social Work uses the following grading system for all courses with the exception of field education courses. Students are expected to maintain a “B” (3.0) average over the course of their study. Students with less than a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to receive their Master’s Degree.

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignment	Point Value
Academic Engagement	1
Introduction Discussion	1
Community of Practice with MITI Coding 10 minute role/real play (4 x 10 points each)	40
Reflective Practice Journals (3 x 7 points each)	21
Discussion Questions (8 X 3 points each)	24
2 Quizzes	13
Total:	100 points

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00