This therapist helped clear a path for Mom to succeed, literally

When I think of summer, my mind wanders to the feelings and smells of a summer day—the sun’s warmth on my skin, the taste of BBQ and other treats, the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of the lawn mower zipping through the ever-growing jungle that we call a yard. There is something therapeutic about cutting the grass, but sometimes it is more than just about mowing the lawn, as one of my therapists for a team on my caseload found out during a recent session. 

MST moves beyond the labels that stigmatize troubled youth

Labels. Labels we are given, and ones we take on and allow to define us. For young people who are involved in juvenile justice, and for many who become MST clients, labels can get in the way of success. Maybe they are marked as “bad kids” because they are on probation or parole. Maybe it’s a mental health diagnosis or a learning disability that is allowed to become their label. Some kids are remembered for a crime they committed or by the reputation their families have in the community. Thankfully, we don’t live in the 17th century and have to literally wear a scarlet letter stitched across our clothing. Being put into a category can still be incredibly damaging and difficult to overcome. In particular, when we internalize it.

Homelessness can happen at any time. Here's what we learned when it happened during one of our MST cases

Close your eyes, and picture a homeless person. What images do you see? Do you see someone begging along the highway? Or perhaps someone just sitting around “refusing to help themselves”? So often, we have a narrow view of those who find themselves on the street, when in fact, homelessness can strike at any time, and therapists have to be armed with strategies to help. Our team learned this valuable lesson just recently when working with Ben and his family.

Lessons learned from other MST teams and an experienced expert to meet the challenges of working in the inner city

Two years ago, CSI's (Community Solutions Inc.) New Jersey Multisystemic Therapy (MST) teams were struggling. Retaining staff and achieving positive outcomes for families was proving to be very difficult. Everyone was invested—they were just unsure if MST could work in their neighborhoods. The communities were experiencing high levels of violence, and families were increasingly losing hope. The program manager of the New Jersey teams wasn’t sure if MST alone was a viable treatment option given everything that was happening in the area. The program leadership wondered whether therapists would be safe when they went to see families. Could they successfully engage people who had strong distrust of professionals? Could they help families rearrange their ecologies so that young people did not get rearrested during the course of MST? Could they work to get young people back to school?

Michelle Robinson receiving her WIT award at the 2017 International Conference pictured alongside Scott Henggeler

Fight for alternatives to locking kids up. Fight for evidence-based programs.

It’s often said that if a young person ends up in prison, it’s a sign that the “system” failed somewhere along the way. Early warning signs were missed, help was not available or it came too late. Often, good people and good programs were simply not available due to lack of funds.

Is there really a lack of funds, or are available funds just being spent the wrong way?

Here's why a supervisor fell in love with the MST model

Remy Schonhaut wasn’t looking to join an MST program. Instead, it found her. And she’s more than glad it did. 

She was working in a residential program when she saw an opening for a supervisor at a prevention program based Multisystemic Therapy (MST) called MST-CAN. “I quickly fell in love with the MST model and its unique approach of keeping children in their home with their families,” Remy said. 

Remy, middle, with her mother (left) and Scott Henggeler (right) at the International Conference 2016

When a therapist gets a new case, other professionals will sometimes warn, “there are cultural issues.” 

But what are “cultural issues”? 

I got the “cultural issues” advisory with a new case. The social worker described the girl’s poor behaviour as “very cultural.” Whatever that meant. So, alongside the usual startup work, I set out to find how her background might be driving her actions and poor choices.

Celebrating Father's Day by acknowledging the importance of fathers--especially her own

I am not going to lie. Growing up, I was considered a pretty unruly child. I was that youngster who drove teachers crazy. I got check marks on my report card for “constantly talking.” In elementary school, my teachers developed a behavioral contract to try and reinforce any positive behaviors. I have to admit I didn’t always earn many rewards. Not that I didn’t try. I just found it hard to sit still and behave. I wanted to have fun, be the class clown and entertain my fellow students. I wasn’t really all that interested in learning. It didn’t get much better in high school. I’d say I went to school for homeroom, recess and lunch. I liked being social. I am the youngest of 11 children. I guess that explains a lot.

Becky Womboldt honored by her agency for integrity, passion, and perseverance

Burnout is a constant struggle for anyone in the mental-health field. But for Becky Womboldt, Multisystemic Therapy (MST) supervisor of the Highfields Livingston team in Howell, Mich., it’s the model itself that keeps her grounded and able to push through roadblocks.

From left to right: Becky, Addie Lanterman, Cheryl May, Tammy Ruterbusch

An MST team turned the analytic process on themselves to solve their revolving youth arrest rate

Ever felt stuck? We have. For about two years. We at Tides Family Services were struggling with how to best support our youth and how to help them keep out of trouble with the law. Our youth were getting arrested for various reasons, some with lesser charges than others. It was difficult to gauge the reasons why and where to start. It felt like we were doing the same assessment over and over, and ultimately, getting the same results.