Phase II Motivational Interviewing: An Experiential Online Training Tool

The interactive, case-based, multiplayer web-based game allows service providers to deepen their skills in Motivational Interviewing (MI), a widely recognized evidence-based practice that supports people to make positive behavior changes related to health, wellness, mental illness, and addiction.The SIM will have three arenas for play, so that users can practice more advanced MI skills and include: Single Player, Two Player, and Advanced Free play. The SIM is equipped with multiple story-lines and characters to keep learners engaged over time and to provide practice on diverse case scenarios, making the Sim relevant to a wide audience. Lastly the SIM will provide an opportunity for feedback from peers and MI experts.

"The Phase I research team developed a 69-page eBook as a credible online comparator that presents information comparable to that included in the Sim, but without the interactive, role-playing, peer learning functionalities embodied in the Sim. Developed in Hyperlink Markup Language, the eBook presented MI skills, followed by transcripts of effective and not-effective samples of MI from the Sim itself. The e-Book includes the story-lines along with sample dialogue and expert feedback on MI skills."

The training intervention consists of a free two-day standardized Motivational Interviewing (MI) training provided by experienced MI trainers.