This lesson will explore the tasks and behaviors for effective supervision. It will also explore the effectiveness of implementing  Motivational Interviewing in a supervisor-staff conversation. Opportunities are provided for you to practice using MI with staff in different scenarios.

Review

We begin the lesson by reviewing the six stages of Implementation that were explored in the previous lesson. We also review the many tasks and responsibilities that are commonly in the job description of supervisors.  

Important Behavior of Effective Supervision

A list is provided that consists of various behaviors or attributes found in effective supervisors. We ask you to write down the two attributes that you think are the most important, and then compare it with the most common answers.

Modeling MI for Staff

Motivational Interviewing is useful in any helping relationship where a person needs or wants to change but has ambivalence. We provide five reasons why modeling MI can be useful in the role of a supervisor-staff relationship. It is important to remember that modeling MI to show authority over staff is not consistent with the spirit of MI. Provided is an example conversation between a supervisor who is modeling MI and a staff person who is ambivalent about using MI with staff.

Staff Ambivalence About Using MI

Staff members may sometimes feel ambivalence towards practicing MI with their clients, as supervisors we can use MI to teach them the importance of MI. We explore some possible reasons that staff members might feel ambivalent about MI. We ask you to come up with your own reasons and then compare them with ours.

Practice Modeling MI for Staff

Using the information from this lesson and previous lessons we provide an opportunity for you to practice using MI with a staff person who is ambivalent about having their client sessions recorded. Throughout the interview we ask you to choose appropriate MI responses to the staff persons ambivalence. 

Please Note : As part of our content licensing agreement, these Motivational Interviewing courses are intended only for those practicing or providing services in Michigan, and only provide CEUs valid to Michigan providers. By enrolling in these courses you certify that you meet this criteria.

1. Explore opportunities to model the use of Motivational Interviewing in supervisor to staff interactions.
2. Practice techniques for demonstrating Motivational Interviewing skills to help staff resolve ambivalence about full commitment to gain MI proficiency.