What is an important quality that MI encourages officers to practice towards probationers?

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered counseling style that emphasizes the importance of building a supportive and collaborative relationship between the officer and the probationer. One of the key qualities that MI encourages officers to practice is active encouragement. This involves acknowledging the probationer's strengths, supporting their autonomy, and fostering an environment where they feel empowered to make positive changes.

Active encouragement helps establish rapport and trust, which can lead to more effective communication and a greater willingness from the probationer to engage in the probation process. By focusing on the probationer's motivations and goals, officers can facilitate a more productive dialogue that encourages self-reflection and commitment to change. This approach is a significant departure from more directive or authoritarian styles of supervision, making it a cornerstone of the MI methodology.