Webinar: Talking about sex as prevention: A novel use of Motivational Interviewing

Describe benefits of sexuality and intimacy for persons with behavioral health conditions. Explain provider barriers to communication about sexuality and intimacy with persons with behavioral health conditions. List strategies (informed by MI) for overcoming barriers to communication about sexuality and intimacy.

Speaker: Dr. Julie Tennille is an Associate Professor at West Chester University in the Graduate Department of Social Work and a member of the international Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. She has taught across the graduate practice curriculum for over 15 years and presently teaches a 5-day elective course on Motivational Interviewing (MI). Dr. Tennille has worked in direct practice, services research, and administration in public mental health and HIV/AIDS services for over 25 years. She has published several articles on Field Instructors Extending EBP Learning in Dyads (FIELD), an MI infused teaching intervention, aimed at synchronizing evidence based practice competencies among field instructors and their social work students. In collaboration with the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, Dr. Tennille has developed a training toolkit for mental health providers toward enhancing their ability to have discussions with clients about sexuality, intimacy, and dating.