Multi-Systemic Therapy

Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an intensive in-home family therapy (3-5 hours/week, for 3-5 months). This is an evidence-based program designed for youth, ages 11 through 17.5, that have behavioral and conduct problems. Therapists work in the home, school and community and are on call 24/7 to provide support to the family. MST works closely with caregivers to help empower them with skills needed to independently address the challenging behaviors of the youth. MST strives to promote behavior change in the youth’s natural environment using the strengths of the family, school, and community system. MST is effective at reducing criminal activity and other undesirable behavior. 

  • Reduce arrest rates.  
  • Decrease drug use. 
  • Increase school attendance.  
  • Decrease Out of Home placement. 
  • Improves family relationships.  
  • Decrease verbal and physical aggression. 
  • The family therapy approach views the whole family as the main people that need to change, so therapy isn’t just about what the teenager needs to change and do differently. 
  • This model of therapy does not have the teenager in all the sessions, because some plans do not need the teenager to be a part of every detail, but this model will include them often enough to make sure they have input into the plans their parents are making. 
  • Many teenagers have liked that the MST model helps the parents learn what age-appropriate expectations are for this age group. 
  • This model has a lot of experience with probation and was built specifically for the teens in this population, so the therapists are very helpful to the teen and parents with how to work with your probation officer and hopefully get off probation as soon as possible. 
  • Sessions are primarily at home but can also be in the community to meet the parent’s scheduling needs. 
  • Effective change can happen regardless of the amount of session time your child attends. But MST therapists will always attempt to involve your child. 
  • This model helps to teach parents the process in hopes to empower them to address their child’s behaviors without legal involvement. 
  • The therapists in this program are available 24/7 to offer support to the family. 
  • The therapists can support you in multiple settings outside the home like school, court, and other behavioral health visits for your child. 
  • All the interventions/plans are built with the parent because this model strongly believes they are experts on their children, and this is why MST wants them in all of the sessions. 
  • Anger management 
  • Communication 
  • Drug refusal 
  • Ways to overcome conflict at home, in school, with friends, or in the community. 
  • Ways to build structure into your life to help with school and/or employment. 
  • Ways to overcome conflict between family members at home. 
  • Creative ways to monitor your youth to help address the problem behavior. 
  • Ways to parent and help to motivate behavior change that are specific to your family.