Candidates to become trainers of motivational interviewing (MI) are expected to have established proficiency themselves in the practice of MI. A complete application to be admitted to this training requires all of the following:
A. answers to the General Information questions
B. answers to the MI Training and Experience questions
C. completed work sample submission form
D. submission of a work sample, which will be MITI coded and about which each candidate will receive written feedback
E. payment of a non-refundable $100 fee to be sent with the application, which will defray the cost of the MITI coding and feedback service
Announcements will be made when the call for applications officially opens in March, 2011, and prospective applicants will be provided with the web link to submit their application and with the instructions to submit their work sample.
A. General Information
• Email
• First Name; Last Name
• Address, Country
• Job Title
• Field of Work or Specialty (e.g., mental health, healthcare, drug and alcohol, criminal justice, etc.)
• Phone Number
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Primary Language and other languages spoken
• If English is not your first language, how confident are you that you will be able to fully participate in this TNT conducted in English (regarding both your ability to comprehend and communicate in English)?
B. MI Training and Experience
1. Describe your initial MI training experience, including the following details:
- When was it held and who were your trainers?
- How long was your training (e.g., 1 day, 2 day, 1 hour)?
- Was your trainer a MINT trainer? If not, what was his or her expertise in MI?
2. For how long have you used MI in practice, and in what settings or populations?
3. In what ways has your use of MI (spirit and techniques) enhanced your practice and/or training workshops?
4. Describe what you have done to continue developing your proficiency with MI since your initial training. Emphasize experiences involving directly observed supervision of your MI delivery and any coding of your counseling on the MITI or similar instrument.
5. To whom and in what settings do you anticipate training MI? Describe any experience you already have with training others in MI.
6. In addition to promoting quality in MI training, the MINT organization values generosity in sharing one’s expertise with other MINT members, and giving of one’s time and talents for the benefit of populations in need. In what ways might you express this value in your own work as an MI trainer?
7. Why do you want to be part of the MINT organization?
8. Please provide email and telephone contact information for the person who provided direct observation of your MI delivery/work through supervision, training, coaching, feedback, etc., and can describe your proficiency in the practice of MI. We may contact the persons you list for additional information. Please notify these persons that you shared this information with us.
Reference 1 and Reference 2:
• First Name
• Last Name
• email address
• Is this MI Trainer a MINT member?
C. Work sample
A recorded session demonstrating your own best practice of MI must be submitted. The recording must meet all of the following criteria:
1. You must be the only person providing MI in the recording.
2. It must be an individual counseling session with an actual client/patient. Ideally it will be an initial or early client/patient session with substantial use of MI. If you do not currently see clients/patients in practice, or you are unable to record a session with an actual client/patient, you may record a real-play with a person who agrees to speak about him/herself regarding a real problem or issue he or she is dealing with. No role-play is acceptable.
3. There must be a clear change target being discussed, a change goal toward which you are working to elicit motivation. The change target must be specified in the submission form.
4. The sample of MI must be of at least 20 minutes continuous duration, with no stopping, editing or interruptions of recording. If a longer recording is provided, specify the point at which your use of MI begins.
5. You must obtain and retain signed permission for recording the session. A sample permission form will be provided, although your local agency may require different wording. You will certify on the submission form that you have obtained and filed this signed permission form, but you WILL NOT submit the permission form itself (in order to protect anonymity).
6. The recording should not include use of the person’s full name or other information that would permit the person to be identified.
7. On the recording, both your voice and the other person’s voice must be clearly and easily audible. This is best accomplished with the use of external microphones (not one built into the recorder). Inaudible recordings will be returned as unacceptable. No video recording may be used.
8. The recording must begin with the applicant asking the client/patient to state that the recording is being done with the client’s/patient’s: a) knowledge and permission, and that the client/patient b) understands that the recording will be reviewed by the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers to evaluate the applicant’s competency. The client/patient should state explicitly that he or she understands and agrees to these two conditions.
9. Work samples will be accepted in English and several other languages. Details about the languages we can accept will be provided in the TNT application. If you have a question about whether or not you will be able to submit a sample in your native language please contact us at mint.tnt.applicant@gmail.com.
D. Fee payment
A $100 fee will be charged for every application. This amount will not be returned if the candidate is not accepted to the training. Rather, this fee will be used to provide each candidate with MITI coding of his or her work sample along with individual feedback.
The application fee will be collected through our RegOnline application site as part of the application process; those who pay by check will not be guaranteed a place until their payment is received.