Motivational
Interviewing for
College Police
Officer Dave Closson
Eastern Illinois University
The Game Plan
▪ Background of Motivational Interviewing
(MI)
▪ Learning & Behavior Change
▪ MI for Campus Police
▪ Skills and Techniques
▪ Summary & Reflection
Objectives
▪ Fundamental principles of
motivational interviewing
▪ The skills and techniques of
motivational interviewing
▪ The application of motivational
interviewing by college police
What is Motivational
Interviewing
▪ “A person centered form of guiding to elicit
and strengthen motivation for change.”
(Miller and Rollnick, 2002)
▪ It is a way of talking to people that builds
their internal motivation to change.
▪ It uses questions and statements to think
and talk in a positive, forward direction.
A Quick History
▪ Counseling
– Directive, client-centered counseling
style. Helping clients explore and resolve
ambivalence.
– Compared to nondirective counseling, it
is more focused and goal directed. The
resolving of ambivalence is the central
goal, and the counselor is pushing
towards it.
– Outperformed traditional advice giving by 80%
A Quick History
▪ On campus & Sanctioning
– Student Affairs Staff
▪ Housing etc.
– Sanctioning
▪ Example… BASICS
▪ One on one sessions
Learning & Behavior Change
▪ Combining law enforcement and
education
– Court System
– Student Standards / Judicial Affairs
– Police in the field
Learning & Behavior Change
▪ Motivation is all internal
▪ A person convinced against their will….
▪ Change your perspective; Change your
behavior
Learning & Behavior Change
▪ Story Time
– Presentations
– DUI/Alcohol
– Double Lung Transplant
MI for Campus Police
▪ What are Police?
– Skilled communicators
– Problem Solvers
– Lie detectors
MI for Campus Police
▪ The goal for police interactions
– 15 minutes or less, 64 percent
– Be opportunistic!!
– Sometimes providing good information
badly …
Taking it to the Next Level
▪ MI Style
– Express empathy
– Roll with resistance
– Develop discrepancy
– Support self efficacy
Taking it to the Next Level
▪ MI-OARS
– Open ended questions
– Affirmations
– Reflections
– Summaries
Taking it to the Next Level
▪ MI Motivation
– Forward focus
– Raise interest
– Things to scale
– Giving advice without telling what to do
– Linking talk to action
Summary
▪ Police already have the skills
▪ Small changes
▪ Reflection time
Questions????
Contact information:
Officer Dave Closson
djclosson@eiu.edu
References
▪ Walters, S., & Baer, J. (2006). Talking with college
students about alcohol. New York: The
Guilford Press.
▪ Walters, S., Clark, M., Gingerich, R., & Meltzer, M.
(2007). Motivating offenders to change.
Washington DC: U.S, Department of Justice
National Institute of Corrections.
▪ Sciacca, K. (2009). Motivational interviewing glossary and fact sheet.