Resilience is a skill that can be learned at any age. Building resilience can help us cope in the aftermath of tragedy and trauma, and it can help us maintain mental health. With World Teen Mental Wellness Day in mind, let’s consider how we can help the teens in our lives develop resilience. 

The juvenile justice system exists to help young people take responsibility for their behavior and become productive members of society. A local or state judge determines which law, if any, was broken when a minor is brought before a juvenile court and then issues an appropriate response.

A young person processed through the juvenile justice system may be assigned probation, placement in foster care or with an extended family member, community service, or confinement in a juvenile correction facility. 

However, cases processed through the juvenile court system often have worse outcomes, including adult criminal behavior, than those assigned to diversion programs. As such, it is apparent that juvenile justice system reform efforts are needed to give youth the tools to make healthy choices, improve behavior, and work toward a successful future.

Today we are sharing the story of a mother that lost hope for the change of her son who was using alcohol and drugs, selling substances, failing school, and was associating with known gang members—until her MST therapist provided effective guidance and support for the entire family.

Note: Names have been changed for confidentiality.

Change - the word one hears when thinking about the COVID-19 pandemic. By definition, it refers to a loss of identity or exchange of one thing for another. After the rapid evolution of virtual means and distancing tactics, many professionals had to adjust to new routines.

When a gang leader uses his influence for the good of his child

This is a story about a father. Mind you, not your typical Father’s Day story. This is about a man who knew his influence and used it to change the direction of his son’s life. It’s about a therapist who understood the importance of fathers, and who had the insight and willingness to do “whatever it takes” to change the life of a kid, a kid that most people thought was a lost cause. 

As 2020 comes to an end, we would like to celebrate our MST clinicians, supervisors, program leaders, experts, and Network Partner Directors and the youth, families, and communities they served. Like many other organizations around the world, MST Services had to transition to a virtual environment due to the pandemic. Despite the many challenges our clinicians faced, they were still able to transform the lives of vulnerable populations through telehealth methodologies and we want to extend a thank you.

Thanksgiving is often a time of reflection and gratitude in one’s life. Today we want to share an update from a Norway Multisystemic Therapy Expert, Ingvild Stjernen Tisløv, about providing MST services during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Being responsible for a home-based service in child welfare during COVID-19 has been a balancing act between ethical dilemmas, legal constraints and pragmatism. The experience so far is that if we are to crack the virus and at the same time safeguard the most vulnerable in society, we must have an approach where the client – not the fear – is in the driver's seat.

Today we are sharing the story of a Multisystemic Therapy Supervisor, Melissa McGreal, in New York City during the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Today we are sharing the story of a mother who was skeptical of Multisystemic Therapy (MST), but is now thankful for the tools she has received because of the program. 

Today we are sharing the story of a mother who felt as though she was losing her son— until Multisystemic Therapy (MST) came into the picture.