Motivational Interviewing (MI) Refresher for Those Who Support System Involved Youth

Robert Dousa

Training Description

One of the most significant challenges for those supporting system involved youth is to effectively engage youth and help them build constructive, transformational behaviors that are sustainable and lead to healthy community engagement and improved outcomes. In this training, participants will learn how to enhance our capacity to support system involved youth by exploring how to use Motivational Interviewing Evoking Change Talk Techniques during the early phases of engagement to redirect their energy towards emotional development and wellbeing and foster their resilience to be able to heal from traumatic events. Practicing and sharing the methods outlined by this workshop will allow us to deepen our effectiveness with system-involved youth and their families while supporting them towards healthier lifestyles.

Learning Objectives

● Participants will be able to identify at least 2 strategies that foster engagement and alliance with system-involved youth.

● Participants will be able to explain the philosophy of MI, how it works, and be able to identify 2 “MI evoking change moment” methods to support system-involved youth towards improved outcomes.

● Participants will be able to identify at least 2 situations when they could apply Evoking Change Moments with system involved youth.

Agenda 

1:00-1:05pm  Sign-in and Introduction

1:05-1:15pm  A sampling of approaches that foster alliance with system-involved youth.

1:15-1:30pm  Learn the philosophy of MI and how it works to redirect the system-involved youth’s energy towards behavioral changes that strengthen one’s own protective factors as a support strategy for helping individuals to change problematic behaviors.

1:30-1:50pm  Learn how to apply simple “MI evoking change moment” methods to support system-involved youth towards personal and career success which will foster their resilience and help them heal from traumatic events.

1:50-2:30pm  Explore MI in early phases of engagement while roleplaying with colleagues how it works to build rapport and redirect the system-involved youth energy towards behavioral change

2:30-2:50pm  Explore Strengths-Based Practices to be utilized in conducting individual interactions that foster engagement and behavioral change with system-involved youth

2:50-3:00pm  Wrap Up

Meet Our Trainers

Mr. Robert Dousa is the founding Managing General Partner of Independent Strengths Building Consulting. This business includes: Individual Anger Management & Addictive Behavior Recovery Coaching, Conducting training of: Situational Leadership/Strengths-Based Life Skills Coaching, Brief Intervention & Motivational Interviewing, Drug, Anger Management, & Family interventions, Neuroscience-Based Leadership & Rapport Building, & Organizational Prevention Strategy Consultation, & Mandated Reporter Training for CA. Mr. Robert Dousa's has retired from the Marin County Office of Education Safe Schools Department and is now providing individual life coaching, intervention coach training, and consulting to those supporting system involved youth. Prior to retirement, he developed the majority of his practice from his work as the Program Manager for the Oakland Unified School District’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drugs Intervention program from 2005 to 2021. Prior to that, he served as a substance abuse counselor in school districts in Alameda County, CA from 2000 to 2005.

This course meets the qualifications for (2.0) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.