Common Stepping Stones in the Pathway to MINT Membership

We would like to give you an example of what kind of educational steps could be taken to acquire competency in MI. The following examples should be seen as some of the elements to acquire the minimum requirements for application to a TNT, but no applicant is expected to have every one of these experiences. It is possible that some of the information requested might have been forgotten or might not be available. Applicants are encouraged to be thorough but apply even with missing information.

Introductory training in Motivational Interviewing:

• Workshop: include trainer names, dates of training, number of contact hours and content and format of workshop
• University Course: include names of teachers, syllabus, location
• Workplace Training: include trainers’ names, contact hours content and format of the training process including supervision received.

Ongoing MI Skill Development

• Intermediate and Advanced Workshops: include trainer names, number of contact hours and content and format of workshop

• Supervision and Coaching: include name of supervisor or coach and whether or not formal feedback of training samples was included. Include information on fidelity instruments used to evaluate your work sample(s) (MITI, MIA-Step, BECCI, etc.). Include an example of your feedback if you wish.

• Self-guided study: provide detailed information about your study plan and resources. Tell us how you received objective feedback about your performance.

MI Training Experience (if applicable)

• Co-Training with a MINT member: include name of trainer and dates

• Types of MI training you have provided: describe in detail the level and depth of training you have provided, including any supervision or feedback you have provided to your trainees. Include documentation (syllabi, evaluations) that is relevant, if you wish.

Research on MI (if applicable):

• include titles and abstracts of studies conducted, as well as contact details for supervisors and/or co-researchers.

We remind you that these are just examples of elements which may lead to competency in MI. Not each and every item will (or should) apply to all individuals.

At the same time, we stress that knowledge of the method is necessary and competency in its application (supported by observed practice, supervision, coaching and fidelity measuring) should be clearly demonstrated before applying to a TNT.

Applications without strong evidence of objective feedback from others as part of the learning process are less likely to be successful.

Further, while we encourage learning from MINT members, we understand that many applicants will have other, sometimes excellent MI teachers and supervisors. Careful documentation of these mentors (contact information) will be useful in our review of the application.

The Review Criteria

A team of reviewers made up of experienced TNT trainers evaluate all completed Written Applications and Standardized Patient Interview (SPI) results according to four general criteria. These criteria are posted on the MINT website, to allow applicants ample time to prepare their materials. They are also listed below.

The TNT workshop is designed specifically to provide and strengthen training skills for helping others learn MI. It will not teach the clinical method of MI itself; proficiency in delivering MI is a prerequisite for the TNT. Applicants are expected to have substantial experience in delivering and/or training MI and should be able to demonstrate ways in which they have developed and are continuing to develop skillfulness in the practice of MI through feedback and coaching.

To be clear, it is expected that applicants will be able to describe their experiences in ongoing learning of MI that include the ways in which they have learned, applied, and received supervision in their MI practice. Some experience with providing MI training workshops to teach others is recommended, but is not a requirement for acceptance into a TNT.

Applicants are expected to provide specific information about these types of experiences, along with contact information for the MI consultant(s) who have provided feedback and coaching. Applicants are expected to provide the names and contact details of two references who can comment on the applicant’s learning process and competency. It is assumed that the applicant has given permission to contact references provided.

Special consideration is made for individuals who are applying from geographical areas in which there is significant need for MI trainers, but where few resources are available to receive supervision on their MI practice.

The online application focuses on prior background and experience with MI. The exact wording of questions might vary, but applicants can expect to answer questions like the following:

1. Describe your initial MI training experience (e.g., how, when and who taught you).
2. For how long have you used MI, and in what settings(s) or population(s)?
3. In what ways has your use of MI (spirit and techniques) enhanced your practice and/or training workshops?
4. Describe what you have done to continue developing your proficiency with MI since your initial training. Emphasize experiences involving directly observed supervision of practice and any coding of practice samples on the MITI or similar instrument.
5. Please provide email and telephone contact information for the MI trainer(s) who provided direct observation of your MI practice/work through supervision, training, coaching, feedback, etc., and who could describe your proficiency in the clinical method of MI. We may contact the persons you list for additional information.
6. To whom and in what setting(s) do you anticipate training MI? Describe any experience you have already had with training others in MI.
7. In addition to promoting quality in MI training, the MINT organization values generosity in sharing one’s expertise with other MINT members, and giving of one’s time and talents for the benefit of populations in need. In what ways might you express this value in your own work as a trainer?

The answers given to the application questions (of which the seven questions above are examples) provide the reviewers the material to evaluate the application, using the following four TEAM criteria:

Training. The applicant completed an initial MI training sequence that appears to provide reasonable coverage of core MI concepts.

Education. The applicant has sought out additional training and support to continue developing and demonstrating proficiency in the use of MI. Examples include receiving supervision, coaching, feedback; letter(s) from MI experts.

Application. The applicant demonstrated a breadth of clinical and/or training activity that would support developing skillfulness in the application of MI.

Merit. The applicant indicates consistency with MI spirit/philosophy in responses to questions as well as how the application of training skills will benefit others, and be of service to populations in need.

The reviewers then make a recommendation based on the TEAM ratings as well as the SPI results.

A Note About "Certification"

Membership in MINT neither certifies trainers as competent in MI nor licenses them to train MI.

As part of the organization’s commitment to providing ongoing professional development for its members, MINT offers members (of 2 years or more) the opportunity to become certified as an MI trainer through a rigorous evaluation of the quality of their MI training.  A practitioner certification program is under development. 

It should be noted that successful completion of either practitioner or trainer certification will not constitute a lifetime MINT “seal of approval” to practice or train MI. Experience has shown that, as with any set of skills, MI practitioners and trainers need to stay active and continue to receive feedback in order to continue to provide high quality service. The MI learning journey tends to be a lifelong one.

MINT members are not permitted to accredit, certify or license their students/trainees or supervisees based on the fact that they themselves are members of MINT. If MINT members in their capacity as trainers or coaches make any statements about the competency of their students/participants, it is expected that they will clearly state how an objective, internationally recognized metric or instrument (for instance, the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI) scale) has contributed to these evaluations. Merely having attended any workshop or educational program in MI does not constitute a valid basis for a declaration of competency.