In Person Seminar – Motivational Interviewing – Mar. 31, 2026

PDPs and CEUs are not being offered for this event.

March 31, 2026 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Registration closes on March 23, 2026 at 11:59 pm

Registration: 8:30 – 9:00 am
Seminar: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Attend In Person

Blue Hills Regional Technical School
800 Randolph St.
Canton, MA 02021

Speaker

Michelle Muffett-Lipinski, M.Ed., Principal, North Shore Recovery High School, Beverly

Description

During this seminar we will be exploring theories of personal and professional connection including Mattering Theory, Motivational Interviewing, and Liminal Space.  These will enable the participant to better understand the motivation behind supporting challenging decisions and changes in a person’s life.  

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a person-centered, collaborative communication style designed to explore and resolve a person’s ambivalence to change, helping them find their own intrinsic motivation and commitment to positive behavior changes. It’s an empathetic, evidence-based approach used across various fields, including addiction treatment, healthcare, and mental health, to empower individuals to act on their own desires for change rather than being told what to do.

You will be given hands-on tools to help people feel motivated to make necessary changes in their lives.  We will review the four processes of MI (Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and Planning) and MI methods such as using Open-Ended questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening, and Summarization (OARS) to explore and resolve ambivalence. 

About the Speaker

Michelle Muffett-Lipinski, M.Ed., (she/her) is the Founder/Principal of Northshore Recovery High School located in Beverly, Massachusetts. She is licensed as a Science Teacher, Principal/Director, Special Education Director, and Superintendent. She has served as a School Board Member and is currently a City Councilor in Dover, NH. She has over 25 years of experience as a Principal/Director in alternative school settings. Michelle also serves as a Recovery Advocate and will continue to search for ways to help ease, and eventually solve the addiction and opioid epidemic. She speaks across the country about the philosophy and mission of creating adolescent substance use and mental health recovery support in academic settings. Michelle strongly advocates for combining a supportive therapeutic milieu with rigorous academic standards for students with significant risk factors. Given her unique perspective on these issues, Michelle has been featured on ABC, CNN, NBC, NECN, Anderson Cooper, and Current TV as well as other media outlets across the country, including TEDx and, most recently, MTV’s 16 and Recovering (https://www.mtv.com/shows/16-and-recovering).

Michelle started the icanhelp program, operated through her non-profit, Potential Connections. Icanhelp trains engaged community members to be resources for adolescents struggling with substance abuse and mental health disorders. She created this in response to the number of students who are unable to connect with a trusted adult and consequently never receive the essential services they need to live productive and healthy lives. Most recently, Michelle worked with her local school districts, Northshore YMCA, and behavioral health provider to found the PASS program. PASS was recently awarded a multi-year grant from DPH/DESE School/Community Based Target Intervention Services Grant under the State Opioid Response (SOR). This program offers a non-punitive, restorative approach to student discipline for 10 districts on Boston’s North Shore.

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

PDPs and CEUs will not be offered for this seminar.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.