Motivational Interviewing in Schools

Abstract

This book is intended to foster everyday conversations about change in schools. It is designed to provide practice guidelines for any school professional who attempts to build engagement in school-based supports and services. This includes any professional working on school-based support teams in which parent, student, or staff involvement is required for success. The goal is to provide a useful model for consultation that will lead to increased use of effective practices in schools. The book provides an overview of motivational interviewing (MI) and related engagement strategies, and specific MI techniques that can be used across school contexts. It also describes a model for using MI to support the activities of school-based problem-solving teams. The book explains research-based strategies for building teacher, parent, and student engagement in school-based services, and identifies consultation skills related to MI, providing objective feedback, and using data to tailor interventions to the specific needs of parents, teachers, and students. It defines the procedures for building the capacity to implement MI within a school or across an entire district. The book is written for educational personnel who consult with individuals within the school, where motivation and engagement are important. It also has the value for administrators and school-based teams who have the task of designing effective behavior support systems and resources for students in their building or district. The MI Navigation Guide (MING) is a process for increasing motivation to adopt and implement evidence-based practices in school settings. MI can be used to support the implementation process for any new school-based intervention.