Motivational Interviewing in Corrections - Communication techniques for working with people involved in the criminal justice system.

1. Federal Probation: September 2008 Newsletter
A journal of correctional philosophy and practice

2.  Melissa Alexander
 U.S. Probation
 Eastern District of Missouri
 Scott W. VanBenschoten
 Office of Probation and Pretrial Services
 Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
 Scott T. Walters
 University of Texas School of Public Health
 Summarized by Chris Wilson, PhD Candidate
Nova Southeastern University

3.  Groundwork
◦ Evidence Based Practices (EBP) – Programs and services
that reduce recidivism, i.e. re-arrest, reconviction,
reincarceration.
◦ Effective practices target the client’s:
 Risk
 Need
 Responsivity
Providers interact with offenders in a way that will effectively
engage the offender which increases motivation for change.

4. 1). Meet regularly with offenders.
2). Conduct intake and other assessments.
3). Report to court on client progress.
4). Decide intensity of monitoring and programs for
offenders.
5). Prepare offenders motivationally to comply with
probation conditions.
6). Engage in special programs.
7). Make other positive changes.

5.  Historical evidence indicates that brief interactions can significantly
influence client outcome.
 Recent evidence suggests that the relationship between an officer and
the offender can be “a pivotal source of influence on the implementation
of treatment mandates”.
 The most effective relationship seems to involve a positive working
alliance balanced with aspects of procedural justice.
 One recent study that looked at the relationship between the officer and
the offender found that probation outcomes could be predicted by the
quality of the dual-role relationship.
 Many studies in other fields suggest that the style of the provider has a
large impact on eventual client outcome.

6. ◦ Motivational Interviewing is a style of communication that involves
strategic use of questions and statements to help clients find their own
reasons for change.
◦ MI borrows from Client-Centered Counseling in its emphasis on empathy,
optimism, and respect for client choice.
◦ MI also draws from Self-Perception Theory, which says that people
become more or less interested in change based on how they talk about it
(self-efficacy). *Also components of Social Construction Theory and
Appreciative Inquiry*
◦ MI is logically connected to the Stages of Change model which says that
people go through a sequence of stages when considering change.
◦ Studies show MI may be particularly useful for clients who are more
oppositional or defiant, higher-risk, or otherwise less ready for change.

7. Because MI is a communication style, it is usually introduced as a
set of stylistic principles:
 1. Express Empathy – Involves a sincere attempt to understand
the offender’s point of view.
 2. Roll with Resistance – Avoiding arguments whenever possible
and finding other ways to respond when challenged.
 3. Develop Discrepancy – Working to elicit the offender’s own
reasons for change.
 4. Support Self-Efficacy – Emphasizes positive language and an
environment that is supportive of change.

8.  Research supports MI’s effectiveness in areas such as:
◦ Drug and alcohol use
◦ Smoking cessation
◦ Medical compliance
◦ HIV risk behaviors
◦ Diet and exercise
MI was significantly better than other approaches in three out of
four studies and outperformed traditional advice-giving 80% of
the time.
Brief encounters of 15 minutes or less in 64% of studies showed a
lasting effect using this method.

9.  There are at least 3 practical reasons to believe that MI might
be applicable to a criminal justice setting and a community
corrections settings in particular:
1. MI has a strong track record in areas that may be relevant to
community corrections, such as preparing clients to engage
in substance abuse treatment programs.
2. MI has been shown to be effective in other settings where
provider-client interactions may be brief and multi-focused,
such as medical consultations.
3. Large addiction treatment studies such as Project MATCH
have reported similar effects of MI across offending and
non-offending clients.

10.  Criminal justice agencies have begun training officers
in MI by hosting one- to two- day workshops.
 Due to the complexities of MI this may not be the ideal
training format. 
 Competency in the MI style is achieved through long-
term training that involves:
◦ Skill
◦ Practice
◦ Feedback

11.  There are eight critical stages in learning MI
as outlined by Bill Miller and Teresa Moyers in
2006.
◦ The stages are considered sequential and outline
the components necessary to become proficient in
MI:
Spirit
Skills
Strategies

12.  STAGE 1: The spirit of Motivational Interviewing.
◦ At its heart ♥, MI is
 Collaborative
 Evocative
 Respectful of Autonomy
The relationship between officer and offender is collaborative.
MI focuses on a “strengths-based” approach. This means the officer believes
the offender already has the capacity for positive behavior change.
The officer works to evoke the individual’s own reasons, ideas and solutions
about behavior change.
Evocative dialogue is described in Robert
Bolton’s “People Skills” as a non-coercive
invitation to talk. (1979, p. 40)

13.  STAGE 2: OARS – Client-Centered Counseling Skills.
◦ Because the focus of MI is to draw out information from the offender,
empathic listening is foundational.
◦
 Empathy :
 Is Not feeling sorry for the offender.
 Is Not agreeing with their viewpoint.
 Is a sincere attempt to listen to and understand the offender’s point
of view.
“Empathy is the third key quality than can
enrich interpersonal communication.
(Bolton, 1979, p. 269)

14.  STAGE 2: OARS – Client-Centered Counseling
Skills.
The officer demonstrates empathic listening through
the use of:
 Thoughtful questions
 Reflective statements
 Summaries “The good listener responds reflectively to
what the speaker is saying. She restates, in
her own words, the feelings and/or content
that is being expressed-and in doing so,
communicates understanding and
acceptance.” (Bolton, 1979, p. 269)

15.  STAGE 2: OARS – Example
 These statements tell the offender you’ve been
listening and allows them to hear back what
they’ve said.
Unemployed Offender’s Statement Empathic Response
“I’ve looked everywhere and can’t
find a job. Nobody’s gonna hire a
convicted felon.”
“You feel that your conviction makes
it more difficult to find a job.” OR
“You’re frustrated. You feel stuck.”

16.  STAGE 2: OARS
 Reflections can serve the following purposes:
◦ Focuses on the offender’s desire for change.
◦ Points out discrepancies in what they have said.
◦ OARS is an acronym for:
 Open ended questions
 Affirmations
 Reflections
 Summarizations
“Open-ended question can
assist the other explore
material she might be
unconscious of at the time.”
(Katz, Lawyer, & Sweedler,
2011, p. 12)

17.  STAGES 3 and 4: Recognizing, Reinforcing, and
Strengthening Change Talk.
◦ MI is goal directed.
◦ The goal is to help someone resolve ambivalence about behavior
change.
◦ Traditional approaches relied on providing advice or suggestions.
◦ MI aims to have the client articulate his/her own reasons for
change.
◦ “Change Talk” is client language that expresses a desire to change.

18.  STAGES 3 and 4: Recognizing, Reinforcing, and
Strengthening Change Talk.
◦ The goal is to keep the person talking in the direction of change
and to limit non-change talk.
◦ The skill involves not only responding to and reinforcing change
talk, but also not responding to comments about not changing.
◦ This keeps the officer from falling into the trap of arguing with the
person to change.

19. Examples of Change Talk
“I really want to stop drinking” Desire to change
“I guess my wife would help me” Ability to change
“If I got a job I could pay my child support” Reasons for change
“I need to do something about my drug use.
It’s killing my body”
Need to change
“I’ll go to an AA meeting tonight” Commitment to change
Eliciting Change Talk
“What are some good things that
might happen if you stop
drinking?”
Open-ended Question

20.  STAGE 5: Rolling with Resistance
◦ Resistance refers to talk that is focused against change – the opposite of change
talk.
◦ Rolling with resistance is contrary to cognitive therapy techniques that focus on
refuting such verbalizations.
◦ MI is neutral on whether these are thinking errors.
◦ MI believes calling attention to these thinking patterns is likely to get the opposite
effect the officer is hoping for.
◦ MI posits that denial, argumentation, and resistance are largely a function of the
provider’s communication style.
‘Because communication roadblocks carry a high risk of fostering
negative results, their repeated use can cause permanent damage to a
relationship” (Bolton, 1979, p. 15).

21.  STAGE 5: Rolling with Resistance
◦ In order to minimize resistance to change, officers
first try to avoid arguments wherever possible.
Strategies for Rolling with Resistance
“It makes you angry because you
don’t like to be told what to do.”
Offering a reflection
“Ultimately, it’s your choice. What
do you want to do here?”
Emphasizing the offender’s choice
and control
“It does bother you that people are
in your business, but I appreciate
the fact that you’re taking it
seriously.”
Reframing the resistance

22.  STAGE 5: Rolling with Resistance.
◦ This skill is probably one of the most difficult ones
for officers. Officers tend to get stuck in refuting
client resistance.
◦ In training, this skill is emphasized through practice
responding to hypothetical client statements.
◦ It can be strengthened through examining audio or
videotapes to see how and why arguments occur.

23.  STAGES 6 and 7: Developing and Consolidating
Commitment to Change.
◦ As change talk progresses, the officer can progress from
reinforcing change talk to developing a plan for change.
◦ There is a delicate balance in knowing when to push a
client toward change as it may cause resistance.
◦Careful listening is the key.

24.  STAGES 6 and 7: Developing and
Consolidating Commitment to Change.
Questions that move offenders toward change
“What do you want to do about that?” A question about change
“How would you do that if you wanted
to?”
Asking about change in the
hypothetical
“There are a few things you might be
interested in…..Which of these would
you like to try?”
Offering a menu of options
“If a question helps the
other elaborate his
experience, then it is
useful”
(Katz, Lawyer, & Sweedler,
2011, p. 12)

25.  STAGES 6 and 7: Developing and Consolidating
Commitment to Change.
◦ People are more likely to act on things they themselves
have chosen.
◦ Advice giving takes a back seat.
◦ Elicit offender’s own ideas.
◦ Emphasize offender’s own responsibility in the change
process.
◦ Training should focus on recognizing and consolidating
“commitment talk” in the form of “I will” statements.

26.  STAGE 8: Switching between MI and Other Approaches.
◦ MI is frequently integrated into other approaches such as
cognitive behavioral techniques, skills training, or education.
◦ Different tasks might call for different techniques but the
overall style shouldn’t change.
◦ Officers have to decide what topics are important when and
what can be left for another time.
◦ These decisions are best addressed through case planning,
ongoing supervision and case reviews.

27.  Learning MI can be complicated.
 Agencies frequently use one- to two- day training
models that do not result in long-term skill changes.
 In order to train officers in a comprehensive, effective
way, the training format should include a workshop
followed by feedback and/or coaching.

28.  MI is intended as an additional tool for
officers to use in working with offenders.
 MI is not a replacement for everything officers
have learned, nor is it appropriate for all
situations.
 MI is considered in its infancy. Research
projects are focused on the role and
effectiveness of MI in the criminal justice
setting.

29. MI Components that Parallel Mediation
Spirit
◦ Collaborative approach.
◦ The belief in client self-efficacy.
◦ Practitioner’s respect for client autonomy.
◦ Emphases on empathy, optimism, and respect for
client choice.
◦ Belief that people know what they need.
◦ Recognition of self esteem needs.

30. MI Components that Parallel Mediation
Skills
◦ Reflective listening.
◦ Empathic listening.
◦ Eliciting useful information.
◦ Use of open-ended questions.
◦ Use of summarizations.
◦ Rolling with resistance (avoid arguing with
the client).

31. MI Components that Parallel Mediation
Strategies
◦ Rapport building.
◦ Strategic use of questions to elicit
information.
◦ Elicit clients own reasons for change.
◦ Effective engagement.
◦ Use of positive language.

32. Works Cited
Alexander, M., VanBenschoten, S. W., & Walters, S. T. (2008 ).
Motivational Interviewing Training in Criminal Justice: Development of a
Model Plan. Federal Probation: A journal of corectional philosophy and
practice.
Bolton, R. P. (1986). People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others,
and Resolve Conflict. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc.
Katz, N., Lawyer, J. W., & Sweedler, M. K. (2011). Communication and
Conflict Resolution Skills. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

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