Motivational Interviewing at Intake vs Intake as Usual on Client Engagement in Addiction Treatment

The MII will involve a goal-oriented and collaborative conversation about why the client wants treatment now, and how treatment might fit with his/her most important values. The provider will use open questions, reflective listening and autonomy support in a flexible, non-authoritative manner. Rather than asking specific questions in different life domains, the provider will explore with the client their desires, abilities, reasons, and needs for treatment, how treatment fits with their values, and what successful treatment looks like to them. The client's language about change will be strategically reinforced to increase its frequency and strength across the session.

In line with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) guidelines, the IAU condition involves a semi-structured interview of the client's psychosocial history and clients answer a series of questions in the following domains: support system, living situation, educational, occupational, family, and medical history.