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VirginiaABA Presents:  Improving Collaboration and Engagement with Stakeholders Through the Use of Motivational Interviewing

Speakers: Callie Plattner, PhD, LPA, BCBA-D and J. Casey Gregory, MA, MT-BC, BCBA, LBA

Description: Ensuring alignment of goals, values and priorities for all stakeholders may be an important component in reaching meaningful outcomes for children with autism. Collaborating across disciplines in the working environment (Broadhead, 2015) and including parents in treatment planning (Taylor et al., 2019) may be skills that are overlooked in the training practices of BCBAs. Behavior Analysts may find themselves in dilemmas where their recommendations are in conflict with other providers or caregivers, which requires a specialized skill set to demonstrate collaborative and effective communication. Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based approach that has been broadly used across helping professions (Magill et al., 2018) as a means of effectively identifying treatment goals, the rationale for desired behavior change and setting the occasion for effective follow-through with treatment goals (Hettema & Hendricks, 2010; Lundahl et al., 2013). It may benefit BCBAs to learn additional skills in the areas of effective collaboration and communication given the lack of training in this area and motivational interviewing could be a useful addition to BCBAs’ professional repertoires (Plattner & Anderson, 2013). This presentation will address the challenges associated with establishing engagement with stakeholders and provide an introduction to motivational interviewing with practical applications that can assist in improving working relationships amongst BCBAs and those with whom they collaborate.

Learning Objectives:  Attendees will . . .

1. Attendees will be able to identify at least 2 challenges associated with aligning goals, values and priorities with stakeholders and at least 3 reasons why addressing these challenges can be beneficial to client outcomes.
2. Attendees will be able to identify what motivational interviewing is and why it is an important approach for BCBAs to use in their clinical practice.
3. Attendees will be able to describe three core skills within motivational interviewing and how to use them in the context of collaboration with stakeholders.

Members who attend at least 50 minutes and are no more than 5 minutes late or leave no more than 5 minutes early will be eligible for 1 Learning CEU, Ethics.  This presentation will be recorded for future viewing.