Building Motivational Interviewing Competency Certificate --(In-person Component)

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a well-established, evidence-based communication practice for addressing behavioral change across multiple settings and systems. This 38-hour blended, group-paced certificate is for participants wanting to learn or relearn the knowledge and skills necessary to reach proficiency in the use of MI. The blended format provides in-person, live online, and asynchronous learning opportunities. 

Throughout this certificate course, you will be observing, practicing, and applying the person-centered MI skills of Engaging, Focusing, Evoking and Planning. At completion, participants will be able to demonstrate requisite attitudes, knowledge and skills (competency) to practice MI with fidelity and begin the initial integration of MI into their routine practices. 

In this blended, group-paced course, you will...

• Develop your competencies in MI through 24 hours of highly interactive lectures (18 hours of in-person training and 6 hours of live-online Zoom sessions).
• Participate in partner work, small and large group discussions, and instructor-guided practice. 
• Enhance your learning with up to 14 hours of independent self-study on the Canvas online course site including pre-captured video lectures. 
• Demonstrate your skill development through written assignments, including utilizing the course textbook to engage in self-study assignments. 
• Participate in two recorded simulated client practice audio samples.
• Evaluate your progress via knowledge checks, skills observation with individualized fidelity feedback and a summative competency quiz. 

Participants who successfully complete all course requirements will earn the noncredit "MI Competency-Based Certificate" (see Overview: Extra Information below for more details).

This program will be a mix of in-person sessions held at the Pyle Conference Center on the UW-Madison campus, live online sessions using the Zoom platform, and self-study in the Canvas online course site.

As a learner of this course, you are required to purchase a copy of Building Motivational Interviewing Skills: A Practitioner Workbook, Second Edition by David B. Rosengren (2017) by the start of class. Many online vendors sell this required textbook. Please look for ISBN number 9781462532063. It is generally available at Guilford Press or Amazon.

The literature on what it takes to master the evidence-based and complex communication style of MI is robust and clear. Practitioners need knowledge and skill lessons, practice, and most importantly, feedback on how well they are translating the lessons into actual pactice. This course is designed to follow the recommendations thus providing participants with the experiences necessary to acquire this valuable skill. 

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Describe MI purpose, benefits and limitations
• Identify key concepts, attitudes, processes, skills and strategies of MI
• Describe Engaging tasks and behaviors
• Identify MI-consistent attitudes for Engaging
• Describe Focusing tasks and apply strategies for agenda setting
• Recognize client change talk, sustain talk, and discord
• Describe Evoking tasks and apply strategies to cultivate change talk and soften sustain talk
• Identify MI-consistent attitudes for Focusing and Evoking
• Recognize client signals of readiness for Planning
• Describe Planning tasks and apply strategies for goal setting and change planning
• Identify MI-consistent attitudes for Planning
• Design a personal MI competency-based professional development plan. 

Level
Beginner - Intermediate

This 38-hour group paced course includes: 

18 hours of in-person training held at the Pyle Conference Center on the UW-Madison Campus. Fall 2025 Live-In Person Dates:

• Thursday, October 9th: 9 am - 4 pm (lunch on your own)
• Friday, October 10th: 8:30 - 11:30 am
• Thursday, December 4th: 9 am - 4 pm (lunch on your own)
• Friday, December 5th: 8:30 - 11:30 am

Three, 2-hour highly interactive live online webinars (6 hours total). Fall 2025 live online dates: 

• Thursday, October 16th: Noon - 2 pm
• Thursday, October 30th: Noon - 2 pm
• Thursday, November 13th: Noon - 2 pm

14 hours of independent self-study on the Canvas online course ste.

Minimum Course Requirements: 
Participants will receive 38 hours of continuing education by meeting the following requirements: 

• Fully attend all live in-person dates/times
• Participate in all live online webinars
• View all online course lectures
• Complete all assignments
• Complete two simulated client calls
• Complete three knowledge checks

Competency Certificate Requirements:
Participants will receive the UW-Madison MI Competency-Based Certificate by meeting the following requirements:

• Complete minimum course requirements (above)
• Demonstrate burgeoning (fair) or higher fidelity on the MITI (an evidence-based tool to assess MI competency) on one of the two simulated client calls
• Score at least 80% or higher on the summative knowledge check

By participating in this class you will earn:

Instructional Hours	38
University of Wisconsin Continuing Education Units	3.8
American Psychological Association - Continuing Education Credit	38
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services - Substance Abuse Counselors - Continuing Education Credit Hours	38
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services - Marriage and Family Therapists - Continuing Education Credit Hours	38
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services - Social Workers - Continuing Education Credit Hours	38
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services - Licensed Professional Counselors	38

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours