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Brief Motivational Intervention for Healthcare Providers

$40 for Annual License (group discounts available)

Developed with World-Class Subject-Matter Experts

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For Educational Institutions and Individual Study

Build Skills Online with Role-Player Gabe Turner to Help Meet Your Clients’ and Patients’ Behavioral Needs.

What is Brief Motivational Intervention and how is it Different that Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered therapeutic approach that can strengthen a person's own motivation and commitment to change. Research has shown that MI is highly effective in treating a variety of addictive behaviors, but normally takes one or two one-hour secessions of counselors or psychologists’ time.

Brief Motivational Intervention (Brief MI) is an adaptation of motivational interviewing and has been shown to be effective in the clinical care environment, where competing needs for an intervention requires a rapid, patient-centered interaction to promote a behavioral change. Brief MI training is suitable for social workers, primary care providers, nurses, and students of those professions. It has been used for a wide variety of behavioral disorders.

Virtual Human Role-Player Gabe talking to a counseler

Learn Brief MI for Free

The free trial includes a training guide with information on the essentials of Brief MI.

  • Creating a motivating conversation
  • Utilizing the MI Process
  • Using the MI tools effectively

Practice Brief MI with Virtual Role-Player, Gabe Turner

While practicing with Gabe, users will conduct a brief motivational intervention concerning his drinking. Each time they talk with Gabe his motivations and barriers to change will be different, so each conversation will be like talking with a new person.

Gabe has memory and simulated emotions, so he will react to what you say like a real person.

Click here to watch video and meet Gabe.

The Brief MI Training System Includes:

  • A training guide.
  • Simulated conversations with Role-player Gabe Turner.
  • Comprehensive feedback during and after each conversation.

Click here for a free trial and pricing information.

Click here to download a summary sheet.

Virtual Human Role-Player Gabe thinking outside with Beer Cans on a table

SIMmersion's PeopleSim® Technology

This training system was created using the PeopleSim® technology, a SIMmersion proprietary technology used for a variety of applications. For this practice system, each user statement typically has from 7 to 15 responses. To choose the response given by Gabe, the PeopleSim technology calculates probabilities for each of the possible responses based on current conditions, and then uses the probabilities to select a response. The probability calculations are based on one of Gabe's different randomly selected personalities and on the relationship the user has developed with him during the conversation.

Gabe starts each session with a cautious frame of mind. Everything the user says is rated according to the impact it has on the relationship with him. Thus as the conversation proceeds, the relationship will evolve. Click here to read more about SIMmersion’s PeopleSim Technology or watch the video.

Content Development

This training was developed in collaboration with Simmons School of Social Work, Howard University, & Binghamton University.

Relevant Research

Putney, J. M., Collin, C., Halmo, R., Cadet, T., & O’Brien, K. (2021). Teaching Note—Assessing competence in screening and brief intervention using online patient simulation and critical self-reflection. Journal of Social Work Education, 57:3, 598-603, DOI: 10.1080/10437797.2019.1671276 Read More

Smith, M. J., Bornheimer, L. A., Li, J., Blajeski, S., Hiltz, B., Fisher, D. J., Check, K., & Ruffolo, M. (2020). Computerized clinical training simulations with virtual clients abusing alcohol: Initial feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness. Clinical Social Work Journal. Read More

Putney, J. M., Levine, A., Collin, C., O’Brien, K. H. M., Mountain-Ray, S., & Cadet, T. (2019). Teaching Note—Implementation of online client simulation to train and assess screening and brief intervention skills. Journal of Social Work Education, 55:1, 194-201, DOI: 10.1080/10437797.2018.1508394. Read More

O’Brien, K., Putney, J. M., Collin, C., Halmo, R., & Cadet, T. (2019). Optimizing SBIRT training for nurses and social workers: Testing the added effect of online simulation. Substance Abuse. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/08897077.2019.1576087. Read More

Putney, J. M., Collin, C., Halmo, R., & Cadet, T. (2018, November). Assessing holistic competence in brief motivational interventions through patient simulation and reflection. Panel presented at the 2018 Annual Program Meeting of the Council of Social Work Education, Orlando, FL.

Click here to see more published research on SIMmersion products