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.

To wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, we are highlighting a story from an MST-Psychiatric case

Jenna Smith was worried. Something was wrong with her son. She had suspected a problem for several years, but now there was no denying it—Rodney was ill. It was his mind. Jenna first noticed symptoms three years earlier, around Rodney’s 14th birthday. At that time, he was having trouble sleeping and would wander the halls of their apartment late at night, talking to himself. He stopped cleaning his room and often neglected his personal hygiene. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time devoted to promoting mental-health well-being. This year youth suicide and self-harm are top focus.

Seven years ago, tragedy struck Woodbury, Minn., when five suicides occurred within the first six months of the year. “After the last suicide, my community was grieving and broken,” said Dr. Renee Penticoff, co-founder and president of the Suicide Prevention Collaborative (SPC)  “I felt I had to do something.” And indeed she did.

Dr. Renee Penticoff, second from the left, with volunteers from the SPC

In her own words. One mum shares her story of her MST treatment

Her relationship with her 14-year-old son had broken down. She argued with her own parents because they had different parenting styles, and she felt like she could no longer go to them for needed support. Most of all Mum was scared. It seemed as if it was too late to turn things around, no matter what she did. Mum was convinced that she had lost her son. She was convinced rules, consequences and rewards would only make things worse. 

What was she to do?

Sometimes, it takes a leap of faith. Sometimes, it takes several.

Two years ago, Wigan (a large, former mining town in the north of England) had lots of hard-working and innovative services, but not Multisystemic Therapy (MST). Wigan took a leap of faith and commisioned its first MST team to work with complex cases on the edge of care.

One of the very first referrals to the team was Stephanie*, a 15-year-old girl with many complex behavioral problems. Numerous services over the previous nine years or so had worked with her. Eleven separate professionals/services were involved with the family at the time of the referral to MST, and everything Wigan had to offer had been exhausted.

Pictured above is Laura Protano receiving her Whatever It Takes award