Government and public-sector employees who’d like to help at-risk individuals break out of poor behavior patterns still have time to sign up for “Motivational Interviewing,” a training program hosted by the City of Victoria Municipal Court in partnership with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
The course, which was originally scheduled to take place in August, will now be held 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Jan. 28-29 at the Victoria Community Center.
“It is rare for these types of training programs to be hosted in our area,” said Municipal Court Administrator Tiffany Totah. “We are excited to partner with the state to give our staff and other community members this opportunity to take part in professional development without having to travel to a larger city.”
What is motivational interviewing?
Motivational interviewing is a series of communication techniques designed to encourage individuals to change their habits and behaviors.
The training will be conducted by Andy Fazzio, with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s Juvenile Justice Training Academy, who has 30 years of experience teaching motivational interviewing.
“The goal is to empower clients by focusing on their strengths so that they will feel comfortable providing information and understand the benefit of working to change their behaviors,” Fazzio explained. “This helps to redirect them from dysfunctional patterns.”
Who can take the course?
The course is open to all government and public-sector employees at the state or local level.
In the context of the criminal justice system, motivational interviewing can be used to help offenders avoid relapses and fulfill their obligations. However, the techniques can also be used by educators, social workers, health care workers or anyone working to help others change their behavior.
How to register
Eligible applicants can sign up for the course at www.victoriatx.gov/motivational-interviewing.
The cost of the course is $50, which will be paid to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The City is not being paid to host the course.
The course is being provided at no cost to the City except for registration costs for City staff who will participate in the training.
Stay connected
To learn more about City of Victoria Municipal Court programs and services, visit www.victoriatx.gov/municipalcourt.