Scholars@Duke publication: The benefits of motivational interviewing and coaching for improving the practice of comprehensive family assessments in child welfare.

The benefits of motivational interviewing and coaching for improving the practice of comprehensive family assessments in child welfare.

Publication , Journal Article

Snyder, EH; Lawrence, CN; Weatherholt, TN; Nagy, P

Published in: Child Welfare

2012

The engagement of families in child welfare services is critical for successful outcomes related to safety, permanency, and child and family well-being. Motivational interviewing (MI), an effective approach to working with individuals struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, has great appeal for use with families involved with the child welfare system. Consequently, many social service agencies are beginning to integrate MI into their training curriculum. However, research has shown that training in MI alone is not enough; ongoing coaching is crucial in order to transfer learned MI skills into practice.The current study employs qualitative interview data from case-workers in order to examine the implementation of MI and long-term coaching within the child welfare system. Findings showed that MI can be implemented successfully within the child welfare system, and that caseworkers believed MI, supported by ongoing coaching, to be a valuable tool in engaging families in the assessment process.