Quotation Mark

Motivational

interviewing

Welcome to Group MI for Teens and Emerging Adults! Here you’ll find guidance on facilitating our motivational interviewing (MI)-based interventions in group settings with young people. Register to view training videos, download intervention materials, get continuing education credits for some of the programs, and explore MI resources – all free of charge. 

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See how MI can help young people make healthy choices about alcohol and drug use.

CHOICE is a voluntary, five-session group MI prevention and intervention program for middle school youth.

*CHOICE materials available in both English and Spanish.

Free Talk is a six-session group MI intervention developed for at-risk youth ages 14-18 with a first-time alcohol or drug offense.

AWARE is a four-session group MI risk reduction intervention focusing on substance use and sexual risk behavior developed for 18-25-year-olds experiencing homelessness.

MICUNAY (Motivational Interviewing and Culture for Urban Native American Youth) comprises 3 workshops that integrate traditional practices with MI and emphasizes making healthy choices for the brain, body, and spirit.

TACUNA is a 3-session group MI prevention and intervention program tailored for Native American emerging adults aged 18-25.

Coming Soon

The CHOICE program is part of the National Institute of Justice’s CrimeSolutions repository, which serves as a national and international clearinghouse of reliable information about what works and what is promising in justice programs and practices.

Recognized by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare registry as an effective evidence-based program.

Group MI For Teens

This work funded by the National Institutes of Health grants R01AA016577, R01DA019938, R01AA022066, and R01AA025641.

Website and software developed by 3C Institute.

Photos of young people are used for illustrative purposes only. All young people depicted are models.

© 2026 Group MI for Teens | Terms of Use

Welcome to Group MI for Teens

TACUNA promotes social connectedness

TACUNA’s virtual format is accessible

It Is Important to Use Evidence-Based Programs

AWARE Is Easy to Deliver

Why does a brief group MI program like AWARE work well with young adults experiencing homelessness?

 

Participating in Traditional Practices Improves Outcomes for Native American Youth

Urban Native American Youth Face Unique Challenges

Why is connecting to cultural traditions a protective factor for urban Native American youth?

How can providing cultural education to urban Native American youth foster healthy decision-making around drugs and alcohol?

High Percentage of Youth Saying “Thank You”

Free Talk Is an Asset

CHOICE Is Evidence-based

CHOICE and Word of Mouth

Equipping Youth to Make Healthy Choices

CHOICE Doesn’t Take Time Away from the Curriculum

Is there any one thing about facilitating a group that’s most important to remember?

Do these programs engage parents as well?

Why does group MI work so well with young people?

How can I best use norms feedback with the young people in my group?

What’s the ideal group size?

How do I engage quieter group members?

Is gender imbalance in a group a problem?

How do I deal with a difficult group?

How do I apply motivational interviewing in a group setting?