Following two rounds of training sessions delivered in November and December 2025, 60 probation counsellors from all probation offices in Moldova enhanced their competencies in motivational interviewing as a preparatory step for the system-wide implementation of the new risk and needs assessment tool, previously piloted and validated in 12 probation offices with the support of the Council of Europe.

The participants strengthened their capacity to explore ambivalence, manage resistance, and support motivation for change, all of which are essential for conducting accurate and individualised assessment of probationers’ risks and needs.

Over the three days of interactive training, two groups of probation counsellors participated in sessions that combined theoretical learning and practical simulations. They were introduced to the core principles of motivational interviewing and the cycle of change model and practised skills such as reflective listening, evoking change talk, and identifying individual strengths. These exercises prepared counsellors to better engage probationers in the assessment process and to support their active involvement in rehabilitation planning.

The sessions were facilitated by Council of Europe consultants and organised under the auspices of the Project “Further strengthening the prison and probation systems, the provision of health care, and the treatment of patients in closed institutions in the Republic of Moldova”, financed through the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova (2025-2028) and implemented by the Council of Europe.