A core component of GEO Reentry Services reentry programming is Motivational Interviewing, used at GEO Reentry-operated day reporting centers to strengthen each participant’s commitment to change.
MI is a counseling approach that centers on addressing ambivalence toward personal change by supporting change in participants through positive engagement and personal focus. The method is designed to encourage participants toward a particular goal by leading conversations that are non-judgmental and non-confrontational but that elicit the desire for positive change by participants.
By focusing on goals and changes the participant themselves determine to make, licensed staff members at GEO Reentry-run DRCs are able to help participants direct and complete a feasible plan for change.
The counseling is characterized by open-ended questions, positive affirmation and reflective listening in which the licensed staff reiterate the goals and ideas of participants by repeating their words back to them.
The counseling has seen success among participants because they do not feel like they are being attacked or judged during the sessions. Instead, they are being engaged and encouraged to make positive change.
MI is employed at GEO Reentry-run DRCs in combination with other behavioral therapy and training, including cognitive behavioral therapy, which you can read more about here.