Chile Chooses MST to Help With At-Risk Youth

Mention Chile and the magnificent scenery of the majestic Andes, the plains of Patagonia, its wonderful wines and diverse cuisine spring to mind. One should also remember, this South American country returned to democracy at the end of the 1980s. Since then, the government has been intent on advancing programs to help its citizens. 

Girls are different from boys—an obvious statement that isn’t so obvious in much of the juvenile-justice system. In the past, girls historically made up a smaller percentage of the juvenile justice system. However, the number of girls entering the justice system is on the rise.

As pointed out in an exhaustive report by Francine T. Sherman Annie Balck¹ (in partnership with the National Crittenton Foundation and the National Women’s Law Center), there is an inequality of treatment often from the get-go. Judges find abused young women from traumatic backgrounds in front of them and will put them into the system to “protect” them.

At all points, starting with arrest and going through disposition, the authors of the report said, “The system is structured to pull girls in, rather than to use available ‘off-ramps’ to divert them to more appropriate interventions.”

A child talks about his experience with Multisystemic Therapy

Capturing the voice of the young person is often difficult in MST, but it is a critical part of the story that begs to be told. Community stakeholders and families alike often ask, “What about the young person? How does this program impact his or her life?” During a recent event, the Trafford MST team in the UK found a unique way to bring the voice of the young person to life.

This powerful video helps all of us understand – “what is it MST like?” from the perspective of the the child. 

The last stop before placement: Multisystemic Therapy

At 15, Charlotte had one foot out the door on the way to secure accommodation placement. While she had her grandmother, Doreen, who loved her and was her primary caregiver, as well as an uncle and her mother in the same household, Charlotte’s behaviors were so risky that professionals involved with the family felt that sending her to a secure placement was the only way to keep her safe. 

Thanksgiving, that wonderful holiday when turkey abounds and families get together to enjoy each other’s company. Oh yes, and to give thanks for all they have. One woman is grateful to her MST therapist for making it possible to enjoy the company of her 16-year-old sister, who had been in and out of trouble and court, and was heading toward placement.

We were in court again because C had messed up. Another arrest. And that wasn’t all she was doing. She wasn’t going to school at all. Some days, I’d drop her off, and she’d sneak out the back door as soon as I left. She would run away for weeks at a time, staying at her boyfriend’s house all hours of the day and night. She was smoking marijuana and doing God knows what else. When she was home, she was disrespectful, and we argued. She was stealing from me, stealing from stores, and hanging out with friends that I didn’t approve of—the type of friends who ended up on the news because of the stuff they were involved in. I had to deal with all of this because I took in my sister when no one else was left to take care of her. Not to mention I had four of my own children to take care of, the youngest barely four months old that day in court. 

 Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child

Nov. 20 is Universal Children’s Day, established by the United Nations more than 60 years ago. Its goal is to improve the welfare of kids across the globe. They are, after all, of utmost importance to the future of the world. As pointed out in a report to the U.N. secretary-general in 2001, "We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind."

Many people and cultures throughout the world condone using corporal punishment to discipline children. This flies in the face of the principles of the U.N. and its Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children are not commodities. They are not punching bags. Swatting, spanking, hitting your kid is a form of physical abuse that research has shown does not necessarily achieve the desired results. On the contrary, it is deleterious.

Sometimes a stranger can bring great meaning to your life

If you’re a parent whose child is referred to Multisystemic Therapy, chances are you are wondering about the stranger being sent to your home. Thoughts running through your brain might include, who is this person, what is his or her clinical experience? Are they skilled enough to help with my child? Will this therapist judge or blame me? What makes this therapist and this program different from the other programs we’ve tried?

Multisystemic Therapy takes more than a Coke and a smile

I remember when I was an MST supervisor, one of my therapists came into my office and said that he had finally figured it out—“Engagement in MST isn’t a Coke and a smile!” It wasn’t about having families invite him into their homes, greeting him with a smile on their faces, offering him a seat at their kitchen table and a Coke to drink. Engagement was something much more. After working in MST for several months, he had really started to understand that engagement and alignment meant a whole lot more and was critical to long-lasting success.

Sometimes D’s are the best thing to get

I was at my wit’s end. My 13-year-old son, Brendan, was suspended from school (again), failing all of his classes. I knew he was on a bad path and didn’t know how to get him off it.

Brendan had seen his share of therapists. In fact, he’d been in therapy for more than six years, and nothing worked. Brendan didn’t like to talk, he didn’t open up, and his behavior never changed. If anything, as he got older, it had gotten worse. Now in middle school, he was facing expulsion after the most recent suspension.

His therapist mentioned a program that is targeted at juvenile offenders. I figured if it could work for them, it might work for Brendan. I didn’t want him taken away and placed out of our home. He was definitely headed that way.

Multisystemic Therapy helps teen beat drug abuse 

Grace is a 15-year-old who was referred to Multisystemic Therapy (MST) after her truancy led to a Family With Service Needs (FWSN) petition. An FWSN petition allows the state of Connecticut to address the needs of children younger than 16 who have committed what’s considered unlawful behavior. MST was the program of choice because of its proven effectiveness with teen drug abuse and delinquent youth.