Do continuing education workshops improve participants' skills? Effects of a motivational interviewing workshop on substance-abuse counselors' skills and knowledge

115 counselors participated in a clinical training workshop that provided training in motivational interviewing with substance abusers. A quasi-experimental pre-post repeated measures design was used to assess the effects of the motivational interviewing workshop on participants' knowledge and skills. Three to 4 weeks prior to the workshop, participants were sent a knowledge questionnaire, an open-ended clinical vignette questionnaire, and a scale assessing views about alcohol problems. 44 participants (mean age 42.6 yrs) completed pre- and postworkshop measures. Their answers to the knowledge and vignette questionnaires revealed changes from before they attended the workshop to immediately after the workshop. The findings suggest that skilled addictions counselors can learn and benefit from postdegree educational opportunities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)