Intro to M.I. for Professionals Working w/ System-Involved Youth

Trainer: Dr. Marya Wright, DSW, MSW

Date: October 22, 2024

Time: 1:15pm - 4:15pm

Location: Virtual – Zoom

Agency: A Better Way Inc.

Please use the link provided to complete registration. Participants must complete registration via the A Better Way Inc. website in order to gain full access to the training course.

Please email the training department at [email protected] for further assistance.

A Better Way is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor Continuing Education for LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, LEP (62361). This course meets the qualifications for Continuing Education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. A Better Way maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Description:

In this course, participants will gain a generalized concept of MI. Participants will be introduced to the spirit of MI, Righting Reflex, and OARS (open-ended, affirmations, reflections, and summary). Participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups, engage in various activities, and receive tangible examples to use during their work with system-involved clients. The material will be delivered by PowerPoint presentation, short video clips, group discussion, breakout (small group) discussions and participant workbook (handout).

Learning Objectives:

• Trainees will be able to describe two ways to apply a motivational interviewing skill to their work with system-involved youth and families.
• Trainees will be able to discuss how the spirit of motivational interviewing is beneficial when assessing a client’s motivation for change.
• Trainees will be able to identify at least two benefits of motivational interviewing when working with system-involved youth and families.
• Trainees will develop at least two skills for using open-ended questions and affirmations to support client-centered relationships.

Transfer of Learning:

• When faced with resistance, trainees will be able to recognize their tendency to use the righting reflex and the influence this reflex has on a client’s resistance.
• By the end of the training, trainees will be able to describe praise versus affirmation and identify how to best use each when responding to clients’ strengths.

MARYA WRIGHT, DSW, MSW

Marya Wright, DSW MSW BSW, is a nationally recognized social worker, consultant, educator, and facilitator with extensive experience in organizational leadership, child welfare services, and curriculum development. As the President and CEO of Wright Community Services LLC, Dr. Wright is dedicated to empowering system-involved families through awareness, services, and education. She also provides consultation, training, and facilitation to agencies serving these communities.

Dr. Wright earned her master’s in social work from Cal State East Bay, specializing in Child Welfare Policy and Research, and a bachelor’s in social work with a focus on Child Welfare Services and Motivational Interviewing from San Diego State University. She holds a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, focusing on achieving equal opportunity and justice in the child welfare system.

As a community leader, Dr. Wright prioritizes building relationships, networking, and collaborating with stakeholders to address social and economic issues faced by clients, aiming for justice and peace. She serves as a qualified expert witness and forensic social worker. Additionally, Dr. Wright sits on the Board of Directors for the California Society of Clinical Social Work and is actively involved with the National Association of Social Workers and California Chapter.

Dr. Wright’s research interests include child sexual exploitation, foster care, and algorithmic decision-making in child welfare. She has published articles and lectured extensively on these topics. Dr. Wright’s teaching experience includes courses in sociology and social work at Cal State East Bay, focusing on sexualities, child welfare policy, family sociology, and sexual violence. Currently, she serves as a professor in the graduate program teaching generalist practice, human behavior and social environment, and advance practice children youth and families.

Host or Publisher Wright Community Services LLC