Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Barnett earned her Master of Social Work from Boston University and her PhD from the University of Southern California’s Department of Preventive Medicine’s Institute for Prevention Research. A dedicated educator, she taught research methods and statistics at CSU Long Beach and has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on the application of Motivational Interviewing (MI).
A member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2005, Dr. Barnett has extensive experience training in child welfare, child abuse prevention, and differential response, including training for CalTrin and designing the MI for Resource Parents curriculum for the Foster Parent College. To ensure sustainable skill development of trainees, she created the “MI Companion” online practice modules and founded the “MI Skills Lab,” which utilizes standardized clients for mock interviews and feedback. Dr. Barnett specializes in translating MI into practical frameworks that are easy for staff to implement, thereby strengthening safety and prevention outcomes.
