Initial Validation of the Motivational Interviewing Measure of Staff Interaction

Abstract

Many residential treatment programs train their staff in Motivational Interviewing (MI) to encourage that the MI “spirit” (collaboration, evocation, and autonomy/support) be used in interactions with clients by all staff members, not just primary counselors. Small nonprofit agencies may not be able to provide the taping, coding, and coaching that are recommended to best learn MI and need another method to evaluate skill acquisition. This study validated a measure of MI spirit, the MI Measure of Staff Interaction. Forty items measuring MI spirit were given to 227 clients at two residential treatment programs along with an already validated measure of working alliance. Principal components analysis found 10 items measuring the three spirit factors. Concurrent validity was established through significant correlations between the scale, its factors, and the alliance measure. This scale may provide an alternative for program evaluation of agency atmosphere and staff interaction with clients.

KEYWORDS:

• Motivational interview
• staff interaction
• measure of staff interaction

Notes

This study was funded in part by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (TI16483). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. The authors wish to thank Lori Roads, Research Assistant and MSW student, for her help with this project.

^aThe frequencies do not add up to 100% due to missing data.

^aSome journals like to have the factor loadings >.50 bolded to show how they loaded.

**p < .01.