Description:
Free Talk is a six-session group MI intervention developed for at-risk youth with a first-time alcohol or drug offense. Free Talk is based on a motivational interviewing approach. MI allows the client’s values, opinions, and arguments for change to be the most important component of the discussion. Moreover, the guiding approach of MI allows at-risk youth, who may be inherently distrustful of authority, to give voice to their frustration without disrupting or slowing down the intervention process. Each Free Talk session lasts approximately 55 minutes.
Session 1 focuses on the use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) among youth, provides normative feedback, and discusses stages of change. Session 2 discusses myths and realities about AOD and how youth's beliefs can affect their AOD use. Session 3 focuses on the "path to problems" and helps youth think about choices related to their AOD use. Session 4 focuses on how AOD use may affect communication. Session 5 focuses on how AOD use can affect the brain. Session 6 focuses on how AOD use may lead to other high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected sex or driving while impaired.
It is important to note that adolescents are going to be at different places in terms of their willingness and confidence to make changes in their AOD use. Many of the exercises in the Free Talk manual will help youth identify how ready they are to make a change and help facilitators tailor the session to their readiness.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the basics of motivational interviewing (MI) and understand why it is appropriate to use with adolescents.
- Identify strategies for using MI in a group of adolescents.
- Describe how to share accurate normative information about the use of drugs and alcohol with adolescents in an MI-consistent manner.
- Describe how to use MI to talk to adolescents about the possible effects of alcohol and drug use on the brain.
- Describe how to effectively present the balanced placebo design experiment to help adolescents understand the true effects of alcohol and drugs.
- Describe how to use rulers in a group to find out where adolescents are in their readiness to make a change in their use of alcohol and drugs.
- Understand how to apply the decisional balance exercise to get group members thinking about reasons why adolescents use and don't use alcohol and drugs.
Presenters:
Elizabeth D'Amico PhD, Karen Osilla PhD, Eric Pedersen PhD
Audience:
Middle school counselors, clinicians, social workers, intervention facilitators
Schedule:
Self-paced online training course
Special Assistance or Grievance:
3C Institute strives to meet the needs of all participants. If you require special assistance or you would like to file a grievance, please contact our Continuing Education Director by phone (919) 677-0102 x 561 or via email at cedirector@3cisd.com.
Final Test Instructions:
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You must view all of the sections of this course before you can take the Final Test.
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You will need to correctly answer 70% of the final test questions to pass this course.
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You can take the Final Test two times before your course progress will be reset and you will need to revisit each of the sections of the course.
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Once you pass the course, you will be able to view and print your certificate of credit.
Credit Hours:
2 Hours
Continuing Education Approval:
3C Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. 3C Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.
3C Institute is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP™). 3C Institute may award NBCC-approved clock hours for events or programs that meet NBCC requirements. 3C Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.
