So far we have seen the need for MECC to help with prevention and awareness, so what type of conversations do we need to have with others?

On this slide you’ll see different types of intervention, and for MECC we are only required to have a very brief, or brief intervention. Therefore the conversation only needs to last 30 seconds to 20 minutes

MECC is all about implementing a brief intervention, or ‘healthy conversation’ which in turn allows us to give the opportunity to:-

• Raise awareness of the possibility of change – so we need to understand what makes us aware that a change is needed
• Motivate us to want to change – what makes us motivated? Everyone has a different reason for wanting to change, so if we can distinguish their personal reason, we can help motivate positive changes.
• Signpost – where are we going to go to get the help to make the change? For MECC we aren’t expected to provide ‘specialist’ advice and guidance, especially if we don’t feel confident. So what we can do, is be aware of different services available that we could help refer someone to, so that they can then be given the most relevant support to help them as best as possible.