Public-figure suicide is alarming not just because of the loss of a human life. It engenders more suicide as it highlights a way out for teens that feel hopeless. Suicide rates increased 10% after the heartbreaking loss of Robin Williams, and I suspect that this trend will continue with the more recent passing of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade.

Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among teenagers in our community. Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this is that the pattern of suicide is preventable. Communities would benefit from a holistic approach to suicide prevention that is grounded in research science. Below are three actionable ways to prevent teen suicide in your community.

How MST Came to North Carolina

In 2009, North Carolina’s juvenile justice system needed a new answer. The state had been experiencing high rates of juvenile incarceration, which started to cause significant budgetary stress on the system. Soon, budget cuts were necessary and the state began to close group homes for delinquent youth. 

How MST Came to Ohio

In the mid-1990s, the Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) underwent research that revealed significant barriers to meeting the mental health needs of the incarcerated youth in their care. Motivated to address this, the department began looking for alternative treatments for delinquent youth – a search that quickly led to Multisystemic Therapy (MST).

Happy New Year to all our families and colleagues around the world

Join with us as we close out 2017 by celebrating all the work Multisystemic Therapy has done to achieve proven results for families and communities. We look forward to 2018 and plan to continue our efforts to meet the needs of those we serve.

Take a moment to read what people and communities say about their experience with the program. For those who don’t have access to effective alternatives to placement, detention and out-of-home care, our resolution is to further our reach in 2018. Our goal is to leave no family or community behind.