Motivational Interviewing in the Community Services -YOUNG

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one of the most effective approaches for engaging people who are ambivalent about change. Whether you're working in health, homelessness, alcohol and other drugs, child and family services, domestic and family violence, disability, justice or community services, MI provides practical skills to build stronger conversations and better outcomes.

This highly interactive one-day workshop is designed to move beyond theory. Through demonstrations, activities, role plays and practical exercises, participants will develop confidence using Motivational Interviewing in everyday practice.

It will be a jam packed day - and together we will explore:

The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing
Understand the mindset that underpins effective MI, including partnership, acceptance, compassion and evocation.

Core Communication Skills (OARS)
Develop practical skills in asking meaningful questions, affirming strengths, reflective listening and summarising conversations that promote change.

The Four Processes of MI
Learn how to effectively engage, focus, evoke and plan while responding to resistance and maintaining collaboration.

Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately
Gain practical strategies for developing discrepancy, responding to sustain talk, strengthening change talk and helping people move from uncertainty to action.

Participants will leave with a practical toolkit (including the most useful cheat sheet ever) they can begin using immediately to have more productive conversations, strengthen engagement and better support the people we serve.

Joel Palmer is a highly experienced trainer and consultant with more than 20 years of experience working across alcohol and other drugs, domestic and family violence, child protection, mental health, homelessness, cognitive impairment, and family support services.

Throughout his career, Joel has worked directly with both victim-survivors and people who use violence, giving him a unique understanding of the complexities of behaviour change, engagement and risk. He has designed and delivered men's behaviour change programs, developed practice frameworks and training packages used across Australia, and provides clinical supervision and consultancy to frontline practitioners and leadership teams.

Joel is recognised for making complex practice concepts practical and engaging. His training combines evidence-informed practice with real-world experience, creating a learning environment that is interactive, challenging, and immediately applicable to frontline work. Participants consistently value his down-to-earth style, humour, and ability to translate theory into skills they can confidently use in their everyday practice.