The Impact of Motivational Interviewing Training on Rehabilitation Counselors: Assessing Working Alliance and Client Engagement. A Randomized Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing
(MI) counselor training in a public vocational rehabilitation (VR) setting. Data were
collected from a total of 347 participants (67 counselors and 280 clients) in the
experimental and comparison groups, during the pre-and-posttests. The counselors in the
experimental group received a 4-hour standardized MI training and a 4-week follow up
coaching sessions. Results of this study indicated that counselors in the experimental
group demonstrated significant gains in their MI competence scores compared to the
comparison group. The clients of the experimental group’s counselors significantly
improved their engagement in VR services and working alliance with their counselors.
Also, counselors’ education level and CRC status showed strong correlation with the
posttest MI competence total scores. Finally, working alliance was found to be a
significant predictor of client engagement. This study established the preparatory knowledge for the relationship between MI
counselor training, client engagement, and counselor-client working alliance in a public
rehabilitation setting. The results of this study contribute to the rehabilitation literature by
providing evidence-based knowledge and tools designed to improve the quality of VR
service outcomes, such as employment, for people with disabilities. With the findings of
this research, there is evidence available to provide rehabilitation administrators to justify
investing time and other resources into training rehabilitation counselors on the use of MI
intervention.