Motivational Interviewing: The Basics

This is an online course with two meetings:

October 16 & 17, 8:30-11:45 am

Motivational Interviewing is a client-centered, evidence-based, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.

After orientation to the underlying spirit, structure, and principles of Motivational Interviewing, practical exercises will help participants strengthen empathy skills, recognize and elicit change talk, and roll with resistance.

This class will provide peer-recovery specialists and past, current or future practitioners of MI with an opportunity to explore creative ways of integrating these approaches.

This MI class was designed with peer assisted recovery in mind, however, the content for this is no different than the MI Basics that would be taught to clinical practitioners in behavioral health, substance use disorder or community health settings.

This class includes the option to have two recorded conversations evaluated utilizing the Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment along with two individual 1:1 coaching sessions to review the codings and assist with proficiency.

This course has been approved by SOS Recovery Community Organization, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 6 CEs. NAADAC Provider #185501. SOS Recovery Community Organization is responsible for all aspects of its programing.

This course is pre-approved for 6 CEUs from the NH Board of Licensing for Alcohol and other Drugs.

LADC/MLADC Categories of Competence: 12

CRSW Performance Domains: 2

Trainers:

John Burns, MBA, CRSW, is the Executive Director of SOS Recovery Community Organization and has been engaged in training delivery and development over the past six years at SOS. He oversees and inspires his staff and the numerous programs SOS offers at recovery centers in Rochester, Dover and Exeter, NH. They include syringe service programs and harm reduction supplies at all centers, family support and parenting programs, a comprehensive outreach program with those experiencing homelessness and a statewide program for individuals involved in the criminal justice system.

John is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and completed the MINT training of new trainers. He has been trained extensively in motivational interviewing techniques with other MINT members including Stephen Andrew LCSW, LADC, CCS, CGP, John Gilbert MS, RD, CCP, RHC-III, ACSM-CEP®, Ali Hall, JD, and Casey Jackson MSW, MAC, LICSW, CDP. He has also completed several coaching and coding trainings and trained under Denise Ernst PhD in Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) Coding. John is trained and authorized to complete Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessments (MICA) for coding practitioners of MI.

Eileen Doyle, MST, CRSW, is the Training Coordinator at SOS Recovery Community Organization. She facilitates the CRSW Training Series and trains Motivational Interviewing with SOS Executive Director John Burns. She has completed Motivational Interviewing trainings with Stephen R. Andrew LCSW, LADC, CCS, John Gilbert, MS, RD, CCP, RHC-III, ACSM-CEP® and Jeffery Decker with Telos Motivational Interviewing for Law Enforcement. She also attends the HETI Learning Community. She has been accepted to the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) training of trainers conference in October, 2025 where she will earn membership in MINT.

Eileen earned her Masters in Science for Teachers from the University of NH and a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts/Journalism from Northeastern University. She is a certified Journaling Instructor through the Therapeutic Writing Institute and has led Journaling Workshops for recovery support workers, cancer survivors, prison inmates and others seeking healing, change and growth. Before joining the field of recovery, she was a high school teacher for 23 years in Haverhill, Mass. and a journalist at the Eagle-Tribune in Lawrence, Mass.