310969
Motivational Interviewing training to improve communication with transition-age youth with developmental disabilities and their families
Transition-age youth with developmental disabilities (TAYDD,14-26 years old) face challenges to successfully completing the transition process, including lack of engagement and a mismatch between youth’s perceived needs and services offered by case managers. We designed, implemented, and evaluated a training intervention to enable case managers supporting TAYDD to use motivational interviewing (MI) to improve communication and support changes in behaviors across domains (e.g. housing, employment, power of attorney, and adult health care).
Methods
Case managers supporting TAYDD in Los Angeles County participated in one of four MI trainings, each consisting of two full days, two weeks apart, and including theory and practice of MI, directed toward TAYDD. We evaluated changes in case managers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors consistent with MI principles, and willingness to use MI, using a pre-posttest design.
Results
MI was offered to 93 case managers, 75 registered, and 59 completed the training and evaluation. Few (10%) had previous MI exposure. Participants showed significant gains in MI knowledge (M=4.06 vs. M=3.78), t(58)=3.82, p<0.0002 and willingness to use MI (p<0.02). Most participants (80%) reported the MI training helped them gain skills to improve TAYDD quality of life and 88% expected moderate to high success in motivating families to follow transition recommendations.
Conclusions
This study indicates that an MI training intervention can be effective in equipping case managers with knowledge, attitudes and skills to use MI to improve communication and support TAYDD. Future work should focus on TAYDD-related outcomes resulting from MI training.
Learning Areas:
Communication and informaticsImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe challenges to communication with transition-age youth with developmental disabilities and their families
Identify tools to help improve communication with transition-age youth with developmental disabilities and their families
Demonstrate knowledge of principles and skills of Motivational Interviewing as applied to transition-age youth with developmental disabilities
Keyword(s): Children With Special Needs, Communication
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator of several grants, including federally and state funded, on topics on developmental disabilities, including health promotion and education interventions. My latest research interests have included quality of care in developmental disabilities and mental health care in developmental disabilities. I have conducted several studies with transition age youth with developmental disabilities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.