Cross-Cultural Training in Motivational Interviewing

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the cross-cultural transportability of motivational interviewing (MI), an evidence-based addiction treatment method. Free clinical training in MI was offered in separate targeted workshops for 86 African American, Native American, and Spanish-speaking addiction treatment providers. Audiotaped pre- and posttraining clinical work samples were coded for indexes of MI competence. In all 3 samples, posttraining gains in MI proficiency were at least as large as those found earlier with predominantly non-Hispanic White providers. Combined with evidence for the efficacy of MI in minority populations, these findings support the cross-cultural applicability of MI.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-cultural
• evidence-based
• indigenous
• motivational interviewing
• training

Partial support for this research was provided by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01-DA013081 and U10-DA015833) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (No. 049533). The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Ms. Patricia Juarez, who translated the training and study materials into Spanish, and who participated along with Meritxell Torres as a cotrainer for the Spanish-language training workshop in Albuquerque.