Course curriculum

What You'll Learn & Be Able to Do

    1. Introduction Video

    2. Motivational Interviewing in Criminal Justice - Working with Mandated Individuals

    3. Motivational Interviewing and Criminal Justice

    4. Meet The Instructors: Sandy

    5. Meet The Instructors: Lisa

    6. Meet The Instructors: David

    7. Learner's Guide

    8. Download the Full Learner's Guide

    9. Why MI for Probation and Parole

    10. Why MI in Corrections, DV and Mental Health

    11. Why MI with Youth, Sex Related Crimes and SUD

    12. Outcomes and Benefits of MI in Criminal Justice

    13. David and Roosevelt's introduction video

    1. The Dual Role of the Criminal Justice Professional (CJP)

    1. Spirit of MI

    2. The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing (MI)

    3. PACE

    4. PACE: Partnership

    5. PACE: Acceptance

    6. PACE: Compassion

    7. Video - Brene Brown on Empathy

    8. PACE: Empowerment

    9. VALUES

    10. Spirit of MI Learners Guide Exercises

    11. RADICAL ACCEPTANCE

    12. Radical Acceptance Examples and Exercise

    13. Radical Acceptance Examples and Exercise 2

    14. Spirit of MI Learners Guide Exercise

    1. Four Tasks Instructional Audio

    2. The Flow of MI

    3. ENGAGING

    4. Top Tips for Engagement in Criminal Justice

    5. FOCUSING

    6. EVOKING

    7. Evoking Growth and Change

    8. PLANNING

    9. In Summary

    1. OARS Instructional Video

    2. MI CORE SKILLS

    3. Open Ended Questions

    4. Affirmations

    5. Reflections

    6. Reflections Examples - part 1

    7. Reflections Examples - part 2

    8. Reflections Examples - part 3

    9. Summary

    10. Readiness Ruler

    11. OARS Learner Guide Exercises

    12. Video Score Sheet

    13. OARS Video

    14. OARS Understanding Assessment

    1. AMBIVALENCE VIDEO

    2. Working to Resolve Ambivalence in Criminal Justice

    3. Thomas Gordon Roadblocks to Listening Exercise

    4. Skills for Resolving Ambivalence

    5. Swinging the Pendulum - What to do when there is no ambivalence?

    6. Swinging the Pendulum Strengths

    7. Peers to Improve Engagement and Minimize Ambivalence

    8. Criminal Justice Peer Ethical Standards

Inside This Course...

  • 1.5 hours of video content
  • 12 Learning Modules
  • 10 CEs for Qualifying Professionals

Motivational Interviewing Training for Criminal Justice

Build Trust. Foster Change. Reduce Recidivism.

In Motivational Interviewing (MI) Training for Criminal Justice Professionals, learn an evidence-based conversation style proven to help overcome the common motivation problems you face with mandated clients.

With over 40 years of research and 1,800 clinical trials, studies show MI gets better results and outcomes than the standard alternatives—even with mandated clients.

Discover the collaborative communication technique proven to motivate the intrinsic, lasting change your clients deserve— and that your communities need to be safer. 

This self-paced, online MI training will teach you the most up-to-date foundational approaches to facilitating change and helping you feel more confident and effective.

Inside, get the practical conversation skills to transform client  

  • discord into collaboration, 
  • ambivalence into motivation, and  
  • blaming into empowerment.


 Explore the Spirit of Motivational Interviewing (partnership, acceptance, compassion, empowerment) and OARS (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries). Learn to blend this MI training with trauma-informed care, a person-centered lens, and strength-based engagement.  

Available 24/7, this on-demand course includes expertly designed lessons, demonstrations, and exercises led by skilled members of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) with lived MI experience in numerous fields, including mental health, substance use disorder, and especially criminal justice. 

It also includes learning guides and quizzes to build confidence and competence in MI.  

 *This MI Training is based on the latest edition of Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change and Grow and addresses the application of MI across fields, including healthcare, education, mental health, social services, criminal justice, restorative justice, and anywhere conversations of change take place.   

GET STARTED TODAY!

Everything You Will Learn is *Immediately* Useful.

Imagine walking into work tomorrow equipped with tools proven to positively change lives—free from the worry of making critical mistakes and confident that your work makes your community safer.

>> Yes! I'm ready to get started! <<

Course Goals

  • Use MI as an effective, evidence-based communication style to foster supportive relationships with mandated individuals.

  • Discover the MI conversation skills that inspire positive attitudes about change and growth, especially around criminal and risky behavior.

  • Integrate the Spirit, Four Tasks, and Skills of MI into a person-centered approach to your work with others.

  • Explore ways to identify ambivalence and help clients find their motivations for change to reduce their risk of rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration.

  • Get current on the newest MI model and research, including crucial person-centered language and critical perspective shifts.

Who Should Take This Training?

This course is right for criminal justice professionals and their community partners who want to...

  • Feel confident and effective in fostering conditions for change

  • Improve listening and conversation skills to strengthen trust, rapport, engagement, and client compliance

  • Improve engagement and success in mandated programs

  • Reduce recidivism and create safer communities

  • Move from a punitive to a rehabilitative style

  • Recharge their careers and look forward to going to work

  • Integrate the spirit of MI with trauma-informed care

  • Refresh their MI skills with the most current model and research

Build Trust. Foster Change. Reduce Recidivism.

Using the Proven Framework of Motivational Interviewing.

>> GET STARTED TODAY! <<

This course is also perfect for organizations that need to…

  • Move from a punitive to restorative and rehabilitative agency culture

  • Train their teams in a collaborative communication style to meet core correctional practices (CCPs).

  • Onboard new staff with fidelity to MI for a consistent agency culture

  • Enhance internal communications for better supervisors and staff relationships

  • Increase mandated engagement in programs that they don't want or think they don't need

  • Provide employees with practical, evidence-based conversation skills that lead to long-term employee satisfaction and resilience

  • Positively influence the behavioral trajectories of their clients, beyond the traditional emphasis on surveillance, drug testing, and imposing accountability

  • Decrease employee burnout, empathy fatigue, and turnover

Get this private-label Motivational Interviewing training for your agency.

Imagine your organization’s logo proudly displayed on the course dashboard, providing your staff with a smooth, branded training experience.

Contact Us Today

What to Expect

Everything You'll Learn and Be Able to Do

  • Module 1: Welcome to Motivational Interviewing

    Get oriented to the course, motivational interviewing, and how it applies to criminal justice settings. Meet your instructors.

  • Module 2: Change in Mindset

    Criminal Justice professionals bear the burden of the impossible: ensuring people do the right thing. Learn how MI can help you move from an authoritative mindset to one of tremendous influence.

  • Module 3: Spirit of MI

    Explore the Spirit of MI (PACE) to cultivate positive, healthy internal beliefs about your clients and set the foundation for supportive relationships. Learn specific ways to apply this to criminal justice settings.

  • Module 4: The Four Tasks

    Learn the simple, step-by-step MI process to bring ease and effectiveness to your work with mandated clients.

  • Module 5: OARS

    Develop person-centered listening skills to build a culture of safety where clients can identify motivations, explore ambivalence, and make desired, healthy changes in their thinking and behavior, especially criminal and risky behavior.

  • Module 6: Ambivalence

    Discover how to identify the language of ambivalence. Learn effective reflective listening strategies proven to resolve ambivalence so your clients are motivated toward lasting change.

  • Module 7: The Nuts & Bolts

    Differentiate between the most current, person-empowered vocabulary and mindsets of Motivational Interviewing from past models.

  • Module 8: DARN Cat

    Tune your ear to hear and strengthen talk that motivates change while softening language that sustains the status quo.

  • Lesson 9: Strategies for Difficult Conversations

    When working in a criminal justice setting, it is inevitable that you will be faced with discord, pushback, and even hostility. Learn proven, effective conversation strategies to stay in the Spirit of MI while having those difficult conversations.

  • Lesson 10: Putting It All Together

    Assess how much you've learned and put all the pieces of MI together in your work with others.

  • Lesson 11: What's Next: MI & Professional Development

    Explore ways to implement Motivational Interviewing in your everyday work with others. Learn about opportunities to continue to refine your MI skillset..

  • Module 12: Closing

    Complete your evaluation form to receive your certificate. Learn how to stay connected with your instructors.

What makes this MI Training different?

  • Focus on the unique challenges and problems most often encountered in criminal justice settings

  • Focus on building relationships that improve engagement, lead to retention, and foster change that lasts.

  • Focus on the critical changes to the MI model from the 4th edition of William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick’s book Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change and Grow.

  • Focus on integrating new skills into prior learning and experiences. Learn from adult education authorities and expertly designed learning modules.

  • Focus on an interdisciplinary approach and taught by subject matter experts and MINT trainers with experience in mental health, criminal justice, substance use disorder, and beyond.

Our Guarantee To You

Register for this foundation course at no risk. Your satisfaction and confidence is our goal and guarantee. If you complete the course, implement its evidence-based skills, and don’t see the results you’d expect, contact us.

>> Get Started Now. <<

What Continuing Education Credits are Available?

Earn 10 continuing education units through New York state for:

  • Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors (CASAC)

  • Credentialed Prevention Professionals (CPP)

  • Credentialed Prevention Specialists (CPS)

  • Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPA)

  • Certified Addiction Recovery Coaches (CARC)

  • Social Workers

Convenient, On-Demand MI Training

for All Criminal Justice Professionals

  • Probation Officers

  • Corrections Officers

  • Prison Wardens

  • Judges

  • Supervisors

  • Peer Professionals

  • Lawyers

  • Caseworkers

  • Community Partners

  • Mental Health Professionals

  • SUDs Professionals

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I use this training?

    You’ll gain instant access to your course and a free learning guide when you enroll. You’ll begin with a brief introduction. Then, view each lesson and complete the related exercises to build confidence and improve your competence in MI.

  • Do I need to be online at specific times?

    Great news! No. This training is an asynchronous, self-paced course you complete at times convenient for you.

  • What accommodations does this course have?

    Inside the course, you’ll find a variety of accommodations, including video lessons with transcripts, hands-on exercises, skills demonstrations, learning guides, and quizzes. We are committed to accessibility for all students. Contact [email protected] to request additional accommodations.

  • What’s the enrollment fee?

    The cost for Motivational Interviewing (MI) Training for Criminal Justice Professionals is provided to you at no cost by your agency.

    For individuals taking this course outside of their organization, the investment is $199.

  • How do I earn CEs for this course?

    Ten Continuing Education Hours are available for those with New York State Credentials in:

    • CASAC
    • CPP
    • CPS
    • CRPA
    • CARC
    • Social Workers

    To receive the CE credits, you must complete each part of the training, click on each handout, answer the quiz questions correctly, and complete the course evaluation. If you do not answer the questions correctly, review the materials and re-take the quizzes. A CE certificate will be emailed once you complete the requirements.
  • How long will I have access to the course?

    You’ll have one year of access to the content so you can pace your learning. We recommend completing it as soon as possible so you can start fostering change-making conversations in your work with others. You have an entire year to return to the content to reinforce your understanding, clarify your questions, and refine your skills.

  • Where do I start?

    Click on any of the buttons to get started. You’ll then be directed to create an account to finish enrollment using the security and ease of Thinkific. Then, check your inbox for instant access to your self-paced, on-demand course and free learning guide.

  • How do I private label this training for my organization and staff?

    We can’t wait to customize this training to meet the specific needs of your staff! From training hundreds of staff members and volunteers, we know Motivational Interviewing will improve their job satisfaction, reduce employee turnover, and improve your organizational outcomes with clients. Get started today.

Your Instructors

National Leaders in the Substance Use Disorder & Criminal Justice

David Varalli

President, The Varalli Group

David Varalli has 30 years of community corrections experience.

He is a recently retired Senior United States Probation Officer and has experience working in the pretrial, pre-sentence and post-sentence units. David has worked in virtually all specialty areas contained in community corrections, and he brings this practical knowledge to his presentations.

David has participated in and led the training in Motivational Interviewing for his district’s staff since 2009. He is trained in MI proficiency, MI Treatment Integrity (MITI) Coding and is a member of MINT, Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.

David was the chair and lead coach/instructor in his district. He traveled the USA as he served on the National Implementation Team for MI in the Probation System.

Experiences have included conducting training at the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; the New York City Probation Department; numerous reentry and community agencies; The Delaware Department of Corrections, and several divisions of New Jersey State Probation. New agencies are added each year, including college faculty and student instruction.

He specializes in Motivational Interviewing and is also a certified facilitator of NCTI Real Colors – cognitive behavioral therapy, communication, team building, and motivational programs for your agency or business.

Sandra Rivers

MA, CASAC-M, ACH

Sandy is the owner and lead trainer at Authentic Trainings, LLC.

She has over 30 years of experience in Substance Use Disorder, Sexual Abuse, and Trauma. With a Master's in Adult Learning from Empire State College and a BA in Human Services, Sandy offers a person-centered approach mixed with clinical expertise.

As an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist, a Trauma Debriefer, and a Recovery Coach, Sandy provides a variety of modalities for her trainings. Her training sessions always include experiential components to help trainees integrate and practice the material being presented.

Sandy's work experience includes inpatient and outpatient substance use disorder treatment, day rehabilitation as a counselor, charge counselor, and clinical supervisor. She has also supervised a women's-only day rehabilitation program and worked with a Women’s Task Force.

Sandy’s trainings provide a big-picture view of best practices and self-care techniques to encourage practitioner wellness. Her passion for teaching and giving back to her profession shows in her approach to training.

Join Sandy's training to gain practice experience and the necessary skills to advance your career and get better client outcomes.

Lisa Ardner

MA, CASAC

Lisa is a Substance Use Disorder Counselor at Crouse Health CDTS.

She is an Advanced Trainer in the Nurtured Heart Approach since 2011 and a member of Motivational Interviewing Network Trainers (MINT®). Lisa has been working in the field of substance use disorder for over a decade.

With the current epidemic of drug overdose related deaths, she is passionate about facilitating transformation, hope and healing in the lives of her patients. Lisa is also active in a Celebrating Families® program offering hope, help and wholeness to families with loved ones in addiction.

Lisa has a Master of Arts in Adult Learning with an emphasis on Professional Development and Trauma for Substance Use Disorder Counselors.

Lisa is one of the Crouse Health in-service Trauma Informed Care Trainers. She is a NYS OASAS Master Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) and OASAS approved trainer for a number of topics. Lisa is best known for her compassionate, empathic, nurturing and encouraging relational style of counseling and relating to her patients, family members and coworkers.