There is a question that occasionally keeps me up at night

Sometimes, when I can’t fall asleep, I think about what it means to be an effective model purveyor of Multisystemic Therapy (MST). I understand that, on the surface, it’s about oversight and fidelity to this evidence-based model that we provide to youth and families. But I want to dig deeper into this idea. What does it take to not just be an effective model purveyor, but an exceptional one? What does it take to create an environment in which an evidence-based model like ours can grow?

Network Partner Conference offers chance to step back and see how far MST has come, and how far we have yet to go

A picture of a long and winding road. It resonated with attendees at the opening of the 2016 MST Network Partnership Conference when executive vice president and clinical director of MST Services, Lisa Reiter, showed one. Many participants sitting in the audience, myself included, have been a part of that long and winding journey that took Multisystemic Therapy from a university-based research treatment model into the real world.

MST outcomes data remains strong in 2015

With 2016 drawing to a close, the Multisystemic Therapy (MST) 2015 outcome data is in. And the numbers look good. 

As a top tier program that works to keep at-risk juveniles out of trouble, at home and in school, achieving our goals is bigger than just our organization. Meeting our goals means helping children and families across the world live healthier, more productive lives.

Using Social Impact Bonds to fund evidence-based programs

Evidence-based programs (EBPs) that help troubled youth are usually funded through the government and philanthropy. But to increase the reach and impact of these practices, the funding base must be expanded.

Powerful video testimony of an MST mother

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, then a video is worth a million. At least, this video is. A strong and courageous mom shared her journey with Multisystemic Therapy (MST) at the Blueprints Conference in Colorado.

If you want a successful EBP, don’t improvise

Congratulations. You have made the choice to implement evidence-based programs (EBP) in your community. It’s a wise and fiscally responsible choice since only EBPs deliver proven and predictable outcomes.

But here’s the rub: To get these results, it’s critical to implement the program with fidelity. Too often, “fidelity” might be seen an overrated and undervalued expense. Sure, sticking to rules and guidelines developed somewhere far away, typically in some university petri dish, is hard. 

Finding their way back: How MST helped one Canadian family reconnect

In the months following a difficult divorce, Bonnie felt she was losing her footing as a parent. With two teenaged girls and a host of new responsibilities as a single mom, Bonnie struggled as she navigated unfamiliar terrain. She thought her life was turning upside down, and her youngest daughter, Anna, was struggling most of all. At 13, Anna was starting her first year of high school and was forging a new identity with new friends. This identity was not positive. Her experimentation with drugs and alcohol developed into a pattern of daily use, and she was absent from school frequently. Anna was also increasingly adversarial and defiant at home. She flagrantly disregarded rules, had angry outbursts and stole from her mom and sister. All the while, Anna grew more and more distant from her mother. Bonnie feared for her daughter’s future and turned to Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for help.

At Blueprints, Del Elliot wonders aloud what is happening to the term evidence-based

In this year’s closing plenary session of the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development conference, keynote speaker and Blueprints founder, Delbert Elliott, asked us whether we can we rescue the concept of evidence based. While more and more systems across the nation and world have embraced the use of evidence-based programs for the treatment of antisocial behaviors, the term itself has undergone a transformation. 

A difficult case with few good options

He and his family were on my caseload. He was on my mind. He had previously been a “looked-after child” [in foster care] and was now at risk for becoming one again. The boy was displaying several behavioral problems—increasingly becoming involved in gangs and drugs. He had been stabbed, and his whole family was concerned about his safety and well-being. His stepfather was isolating him from other family members, and the parents were constantly arguing.

As a qualified social worker in the U.K., I was looking for a program that would help this young person remain in his home and be safe in his community. Something that would give him and his family the tools and resources they needed to independently address any further difficulties that arose. I knew it had to be something intensive. This I found was achievable through the support and the model of MST. I referred this case to the MST program with the hopes that the clinician would support the family, enabling them to develop skills to challenge and support their son, breaking the cycle of anti-social behaviors.

Communities may change, but MST does not

Inevitably, someone where I work will ask me a question along the lines of “So, how do we compare to other places that do Multisystemic Therapy?” A difficult question to answer, but my response is always, “It’s the same . . . but different.” It’s about as true an answer as I can possibly give.