Summit Preparatory School
Kalispell, Montana

Recently a number of Summit Preparatory School clinical, admissions, and residential program staff attended a workshop offered at Summit on the use of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). The training was presented by Rachel Gooms, M.S.W., L.A.C., who works with the "Self Over Substances" (SOS) Program, at the Curry Health Center at the University of Montana. The SOS program utilizes MET, which is based on the principles of motivational interviewing, for evoking change with university students who have been referred for substance related issues.

The Clinical program at Summit sought this training as an additional component of our work with students with substances issues. Enrolling students often enter treatment at the pre-contemplative stage of change and MET is designed to facilitate the progression on the continuum of change toward the contemplative stage. It will form the foundation for the first in our series of special focus groups related to substance treatment, entitled Changes.