Center for Healthful Behavior Change Education & Training | NYU Langone Health

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Center for Healthful Behavior Change Center for Healthful Behavior Change Education & Training

Center for Healthful Behavior Change Education & Training

NYU Langone’s Center for Healthful Behavior Change offers postdoctoral and other postgraduate education and training in translational behavioral medicine research to early- career scientists as well as research and patient care teams.

Increasing the Number of Minority Health Scientists

Minority populations often experience higher rates of chronic diseases than the general population. To address this pressing population health issue, we seek to increase the number of well-qualified scientists and physicians from underrepresented groups, who are often more likely than their peers to work on topics or in areas related to underserved minorities and low-income communities. Currently, underrepresented minorities (African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) represent a third of the U.S. population but a much smaller percentage of science and medicine faculty.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine is committed to diversity in our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Educational and training programs in the Center for Healthful Behavior Change are particularly geared toward increasing the number of underrepresented minority health scientists. We are one of the only centers in the country working toward this goal.

Training for Early-Career Faculty and Postdoctoral Fellows in Translational Behavioral Medicine Research

The Program to Increase Diversity in Behavioral Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research Summer Institute trains and mentors junior-level scientists from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups and those with disabilities, preparing them for careers in multidisciplinary behavioral medicine and sleep disorders research.

Training for Research and Patient Care Teams in Motivational Interviewing

We offer training for research or patient care teams in motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is defined as a directive, person-centered approach to counseling designed to enhance a person’s intrinsic motivation for change by helping them to recognize and resolve the discrepancy between their present behavior and their future personal goals and values. Clinical staff, medical assistants, registered nurses, providers (MD, NP), health educators, social workers, administrative staff, and community health workers can participate in the program to create a cohesive team committed to the central goal of better supporting, coaching, and communicating with their patients or clients.

This comprehensive training program was developed to teach the core principles and skills of motivational interviewing through evidence-based communication techniques and best practices in order to help facilitate behavior change. The multiday program, tailored to the needs of your team, includes booster trainings on maintaining skills and taped practice sessions on motivational interviewing to provide feedback on and coaching in skills development.

Training Curriculum

Training Type Content Area Audience Time Commitment
Foundational Core elements: spirit and principles of MINT; Core skills: OARS All staff members 2 half days or 1 full day
Foundational-Medium Core elements: spirit and principles of MINT; Core skills: OARS; Stages of change All staff members 4 half days or 2 full days
Advanced (prerequisite: foundational training) Core elements: change talk, sustain talk, MINT traps, and commitment to change All staff members 2 half days or 1 full day
Train-the-Trainer (prerequisite: advanced training) Core elements: using MINT in groups, MINT assessment sandwich, providing MINT-adherent feedback, and advancing staff MINT skills Clinical/administrative staff 2 half days or 1 full day
Coaching Personalized feedback from review of audiotaped encounters and one-on-one telephone consultation All staff members 20-minute taped sessions and 30-minute telephone coaching (as needed)
MINT: motivational interviewing; OARS: open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries.

Training modules include a training workbook, lectures, audiovisual media, research articles, case discussions, and role playing of key principles with personalized feedback.

After the training, staff will possess the knowledge and skills to practice the evidence-based principles of motivational interviewing to improve outcomes. Staff can empower patients or clients through their current interactions to become activated and informed, which can lead to more efficient visits, increased satisfaction and adherence, better patient–staff communication, and an efficient use of limited clinic resources.

Sample Cost for One-Day Foundational Training for 30 People

Component Pricing Includes
Training development $500 One pre-training meeting; development of tailored workshops
Delivery of training (per day) $2,450 A one-day workshop (delivered in person or virtually) conducted by a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers; training handouts (30 participants max)
Travel expenses TBD Cost of travel to and from a training location if the training is delivered at a location other than NYU
Total $2,950* *Total price does not include travel expenses.

The international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers recognizes this training program. For more information, please contact Antoinette M. Schoenthaler, EdD, at antoinette.schoenthaler@nyulangone.org or 646-501-3434. You can also contact Franze de la Calle, MS, at franzenith.delacalle@nyulangone.org.