The MST model continues to show impressive outcomes

The numbers are in, and they are good for Multisystemic Therapy (MST), an intensive family- and community-based treatment that addresses the many causes of serious antisocial behavior in juveniles. At a recent conference for MST Network Partners, outcomes from across the MST world were shared. These statistics represent the work of teams in 34 states and 15 countries. With strong adherence to the MST model, practitioners across the world achieved great success with the families they served in 2014.

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. 

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.

10-year MST veteran shares thoughts on what makes the evidence-based model work

Marta Lear has been a Multisystemic Therapy (MST) supervisor for 10 years. In that time, she witnessed up close the elements that contribute to MST being such a powerful tool in helping chronic juvenile offenders get on the right track to becoming successful, productive adults.

One extremely important factor Lear found was the high level of support and guidance provided to therapists and supervisors by MST, which included the quality of booster trainings. In other programs, she says, therapists may get adequate training and even follow-up booster sessions. However, they often lack a focus on the sustainability of the program, as well as fidelity to the model. MST requires both.

MST: Backed Up by Research, Results Proven to Be Reproducible

An article in Science magazine stated that less than a third of psychology studies could be replicated. 

This finding produced a bit of negative coverage in the media, as well as some useful analysis.     

For me, however, it was a reminder of just how impressive the body of research behind MST is. Consider that since 1986, MST has undergone 15 separate randomized controlled trials using either juvenile offenders or youth with serious conduct problems. Of those, seven were conducted by independent researchers in five separate countries.

New Mexico finds MST cost-effective, saves the state $135 million

In December 2014, a report was published showing very positive results for troubled youth receiving Multisystemic Therapy (MST) treatment over a nine-year period in New Mexico. The state decided to take a closer look at the data from its Juvenile Justice Services System (JJS) focusing on whether using MST for delinquent youths at risk of out-of-home placements was paying off.

The study analyzed information gathered on 4,016 delinquent young people receiving MST from July 2005 to June 30, 2014, covering admission to six and 12 months after discharge. These were youths with very high rates of severity at admission to MST and showed great improvement in all areas examined, including improved functioning, decreased mental health and substance-abuse problems, and cost savings to the state through reductions in using Medicaid-funded behavioral health services.

Chance encounter brings joy and meaning to MST therapist

“Is he throwing rocks down the slide? He is. He’s throwing rocks down the slide. Maybe Bill will correct him...” My internal dialogue on whether to scold my 5-year-old nephew or wait for my husband didn’t last long. 

Whenever we babysit our nephews, Bill takes care of life-and-death situations. He makes sure to address those strongly and swiftly. Everything else? My domain. I spoke reluctantly, “Dylan, don’t throw rocks down the slide.” Typically, I’d give him a rationale. I’d explain that he could scratch or dent the slide, and he was holding up the children behind him. But I wanted to speak quickly, hoping that the moment wouldn’t be broken.

Former police officer goes from making arrests to preventing them

At first glance, there is little similarity between the field of law enforcement and the world of mental health. Although law-enforcement personnel regularly encounter mentally ill individuals, their objectives differ from those of mental health care providers. Despite these differences, there are similarities when one takes the time to look a little deeper.

Prior to moving to Los Angeles and becoming an MST supervisor, I was a police officer in a major city with the major objective of protecting life and property. From the systemic perspective, law enforcement is in place to ensure order in our society and laws are followed. They are, in essence, the initial step that society put into place to impose consequences, followed by the courts and the correctional system. 

See How MST helps Essex County Teens

Young people in the U.K. who enter social care typically have poor outcomes. They are more likely to re-offend, be suspended from school, and be unemployed by the time they turn 19. Out-of-home placement is also expensive for local authorities. They are responsible for children’s social care, but investing in prevention in times of austerity is challenging.

In 2012, there were 1,600 children in care in Essex County, and the number had risen by 28 percent over the previous five years. Essex County Council wanted to commission service with an evidence base for working with this group but was not in a position to take on the financial risk of failure. They decided to try Multisystemic Therapy (MST) to work with adolescent children on the verge of out-of-home placement. Two teams would handle 380 young people over five years. MST itself was not new to the U.K. What was new was a form of social investment called a Social Impact Bond (SIB).