Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors' Use of Evidenced-Based Practices Involving Motivational Interviewing

About the Webcast

The Center on KTDRR is collaborating with the American Institutes for Research to support webcasts and a Community of Practice that examine issues and challenges around evidence-based practice and vocational rehabilitation (VR). Second in a series of webcasts that examine the links between VR research and practice, we will look closely at how one particular area of research has influenced VR counselor practice and behavior. Presenters include a NIDILRR-funded researcher, an RSA-funded TACE center professional, a VR agency supervisor, and a VR counselor.

This webcast follows the thread of the relationship between research and practice as it relates to the use of “motivational interview (MI)” techniques by VR counselors. MI is a counseling approach that facilitates and engages the intrinsic motivation of the client to change behaviors. Evolved from experience in the treatment of problem drinking, MI has been applied in many sectors including VR. The webcast organizers do not mean to endorse MI as an appropriate approach for VR, but rather to explore how research has been conducted and applied, through training, to inform VR practices.

How to View the Archive

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About the Presenters

Tim N. Tansey, PhD, is Associate Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Evidence Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP-VR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tim has over fifteen years of experience in rehabilitation and has been involved in MI research related to VR.

Christine Johnson, MA, CRC, is Program Manager for the Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Region 5 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and has over 25 years of experience in vocational rehabilitation.

JoLynn Blaeser, MA, LSW, is Staff Development Director for Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and has over 30 years of experience.

Kay Lechner, MA, NCC, LPC-IT, is a vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) with experience in applying MI with VR consumers.

Photos of Tim Tansey, Christine Johnson, JoLynn Blaeser, Kay Lechner
Photo of Tim Tansey Photo of Christine Johnson Photo of JoLynn Blaeser Photo of Kay Lechner