MST therapists help families overcome their initial anxiety about treatment 

“You can come back now,” the doctor said. I apprehensively followed her into the room and watched the door close behind us. My heart raced. The doctor picked up on my anxiety. She assured me, “I make people nervous every day, but getting past that fear is what benefits them in the long run.”

This got me thinking. I imagine that families going into Multisystemic Therapy (MST) feel similar anxiety when they meet their therapist for the very first time.

Picture this. A stranger is about to come knocking at your door, asking all kinds of questions, making you tell your family’s life story, a story that you’ve told at least a dozen times before. This person is coming into your home—I cannot help but believe for some this must feel very intrusive. 

Multisystemic therapists bring hope for change to struggling families

The concept of hope is one many of us take for granted. Some of us just think we deserve better or less depending on our life experiences. As a Multisystemic Therapy supervisor and therapist, I noticed a theme with families that create positive behavioral changes in their lives. This theme revolves around the family being hopeful for better things to come.

But it isn’t easy, as often when families begin MST, they are burnt out with little to no hope things can get better.

Without hope and paralyzed with despair, single mother turns to Multisystemic Therapy

Jessica felt that she had failed her eldest daughter, and now she was losing her sons. Her daughter had overdosed, nearly died, and she was now living with her uncle. Her son, Emilio, 14, was damaging school property and not coming home after class. She worried about his dangerous behaviors. He and his younger brother, Josiah, 12, ignored her, and fought viciously and constantly. Having experienced aggression in the family throughout her life, Jessica felt powerless to stop the angry spiral of disrespect and hostility. Both boys refused to listen to her and constantly tested her empty threats. Jessica was anxious, isolated and afraid. 

A local agency in Greeley, Colo., Youth and Family Connections, suggested Multisystemic Therapy (MST) at North Range Behavioral Health, the local community mental health center. Carrie, an MST therapist, was assigned Jessica’s case. 

This aunt demonstrates the importance of using extended family for support 

Marianna* grew up in a large extended family. She learned early on commitment to family was a strength of her Hispanic culture. Her strong dedication to family and supporting one another, she would explain, is really part of who she is and how she was raised. Because of this, she didn’t think twice about taking in her nephew, Mateo. Raising him like he was one of her own. 

But when he turned 15, things began to change.

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.

Before Highfields' Multisystemic Therapy team came along, Sandra and her son, Larry, didn’t know how to communicate without arguing. 

Last year, Sandra and her family moved to a new home in a new school district. This created a lot of stress for her oldest child, 15-year-old Larry. 

Sandra saw changes in him. He was hanging out with the wrong crowd, not focusing in school and making bad decisions. They argued constantly about power dynamics, such as who was in charge or who would have the final word. They didn’t know how to communicate with each other.

MST therapists and supervisors doing whatever it takes

Houston, Texas. The largest city in the southern U.S. Hit last week with a natural disaster of epic proportions. Hurricane Harvey has made an indelible mark on the landscape and on the people of the Space City. It was the lead story on the national news for days. You have probably seen the flooding, heard of the death toll, watched the search-and-rescue efforts with bated breath. If you’re like me, you cried through heartbreaking interviews with families who have lost it all. What you may not know is that there are two Multisystemic Therapy (MST) teams in Houston. This is their story. And it’s not over yet—this blog may require a Part II.

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. 

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. 

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.