Staying the course with Multisystemic Therapy

Recently, I decided it was time to get healthy. You know when you reach that point in life when some of your behaviors (like eating sugary foods, not exercising daily, etc.) will catch up to you if you don’t make a change? So, I started my “healthy journey.” About two weeks in, my muscles were aching from my intensive workouts (OK, intensive for me), I missed my midday sugar rush, and the water, how could one person be asked to drink so much water? But something told me that even though I hadn’t seen any great gains yet, I was on the right path to better health and shouldn’t give up.

This caused me to pause and think about the people we work with in Multisystemic Therapy (MST)—the youth, their families and the key community stakeholders. 

New Jersey calls for a bigger investment in community-based programs to lower disparities in the juvenile justice system

New Jersey has made progress in lowering the number of incarcerated juveniles. From 1997 to 2010, the confined youth population was cut by 53 percent. These efforts should be applauded. 

Unfortunately, there are other statistics that are far less commendable—those showing distressing racial disparities. 

A mom and two MST experts share their experiences on how MST works 

Think about how hopeless Michelle felt. Her daughter, Sam, was out of control, and Michelle was out of options. Or so she thought.

After trying many different services and suffering many disappointments, Michelle was doubtful that anything would work. Still, she gave Multisystemic Therapy (MST) a try. 

A childhood dream realized

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut? Studies show that just 6 percent of adults end up in the careers they wanted as kids. Katelyn Jakubovic is part of that 6 percent.

MST for Problem Sexual Behavior works with youth engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviour

The sexual behaviour of young people is often difficult to fathom, even more so when that behaviour harms someone else. Estimates suggest that nearly a quarter of reported cases of child sexual abuse are committed by an individual younger than 18. Victims are often younger than the perpetrator and known to them, either as a family member or family friend.

L.A. County Bureau Chief says his staff trusts Multisystemic Therapy as treatment for at-risk youth

I first learned of Multisystemic Therapy (MST) in 2003 when I was assigned to the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) program. JJCPA operates from a platform of evidence-based practices and principles that unite and coordinate a wide range of services. Through JJCPA, the probation department has continued to partner with the Department of Mental Health to contract with local agencies to provide MST services. 

It did not take me long to realize the value and potential of a therapist who is engaged with the youth’s social ecology. 

Are we in danger of losing a generation of children from the opioid crisis

Our family lives on a picturesque island off the coast of Maine. Yet, painkillers prescribed by physicians resulting in opioid addiction and the ready availability of heroin have damaged the lives of many families in our extended social network – children of our friends, friends of our friends, work colleagues of our friends, families of our children’s friends, and acquaintances in our community.

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we work. We also pay respect to  Elders past, present and future and recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of Aboriginal people from this land.

Child abuse and neglect is not unique to any one continent, country or city. Across the globe, governments and non-government organisations are working together to support those most vulnerable in our communities to reach the best possible outcomes and lives.

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) may be the long-awaited bicameral win that Congress has been searching for this year 

First enacted in 1974, the JJDPA provides four core protections for young people who are involved in the juvenile justice system. The legislation ensures that youth are not housed in adult facilities, that they are sight and sound separated from adult inmates, and that states address racial and ethnic disparities within their systems. The law also prohibits the incarceration of young people for status offenses such as running away from home and skipping school. These status-offense behaviors are illegal only because the person engaging in them has not yet reached the age of majority. 

His humility shows first and foremost

Let’s talk about Fuzi Bradshaw—an outstanding Multisystemic Therapy (MST) clinician and father.

When you first meet Fuzi, you are struck by his humility. He talks with humble pride about the work he does with MST families in the Nottingham community of England. He talks with that same pride about his own family and the lives that he is shaping as a father.

Fuzi is a recent recipient of the MST Sustained Excellence award (an ESSY) for his overall adherence to the MST model as determined by the MST Therapist’s Adherence Measure.