Multisystemic therapy
Encyclopedia
Multisystemic Therapy (so-named because it addresses the different systems in an adolescent's life) is an intensive, family-focused and community-based treatment program for chronic and violent youth. The evidence-based therapy is goal oriented and aims at helping caregivers manage and nurture their challenging adolescents more effectively.
While the most widely disseminated form of MST is juvenile justice, which addresses the problems of adolescents who typically have significant histories of committing crime, there are variations that deal with such issues as substance abuse
, problem sexual behavior, abuse and neglect
, psychiatric disorders and a range of other serious behavioral issues.
and were poor at engaging families in treatment.
Based on this, he designed a treatment, MST, that aimed to address risk factors comprehensively and provided treatment directly where problems occur—in homes, schools and community settings. And, he recognized that empowering families was the key to improving the lives of juvenile offenders.
In 1992, the Family Services Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina was formed to pursue the development, validation and dissemination of evidence-based treatments, including MST. In 1996, MST Services was established as the university-affiliated, technology- transfer organization for MST. MST Services offers comprehensive assistance to agencies that use MST.
Unlike many other treatment models where the troubled youth sees a therapist at a clinic once a week, MST therapists go to the youth’s home, school and community. In this way, the whole environment of the youth can be focused on and positive change effected. Parents and caregivers are brought into the process. Studies have shown MST to be more effective than standard treatments. These conclusions are based on the findings from 21 published outcome studies (19 randomized, two quasi-experimental) with youths presenting serious clinical problems and their families. These studies included more than 2,500 families.
MST has high rates of treatment completion because therapists provide treatment in the families’ homes and other community settings. Going to the home overcomes the high dropout rates of other treatments because caregivers often have trouble getting their families to appointments.
MST integrates intervention techniques that have the most empirical support, including behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral and pragmatic family therapies. Because of the collaboration with family and caregivers, treatment goals that the therapist can help achieve are established.
Out-of-home placements, such as juvenile detention, residential treatment, psychiatric hospitalization and boot camps, have proved largely ineffective in achieving positive and lasting results.
Out-of-home placements may be unsuccessful because the adolescent returns home to the same conditions that were there before he or she left. The youth often resumes drug use, stealing, truancy, staying out late or all night with other out-of-control youths. Added to this mix is the juvenile offender may have picked up new ideas for criminal activities while in out-of-home placement.
To break this cycle, MST interventions work to
Family members collaborate with MST therapists in designing a treatment plan. The plan builds on the strengths in their lives, which makes it more likely the family will be successful during and after treatment.
Principle 1: Finding the fit
An assessment is made to understand the "fit" between identified problems and the entire context of the youth's environment. Assessing the “fit” of the youth's successes also helps guide the treatment process.
Principle 2: Focusing on positives and strengths
MST therapists and team members emphasize the positives they find and use strengths in the youth’s world as levers for positive change.
Principle 3: Increasing responsibility
Interventions are designed to promote responsible behavior and decrease irresponsible actions by family members.
Principle 4: Present focused, action oriented and well defined
Interventions deal with what’s happening now in the delinquent’s life. Therapists look for action that can be taken immediately, targeting specific and well-defined problems. Family members focus on present-oriented solutions, versus gaining insight or focusing on the past.
Principle 5: Targeting sequences
Interventions target behavior sequences within and between the various interacting elements of the adolescent’s life—family, teachers, friends, home, school and community—that sustain identified problems.
Principle 6: Developmentally appropriate
Interventions are set up to be appropriate to the youth’s age and fit his or her developmental needs. A developmental emphasis stresses building the adolescent’s ability to get along well with peers and acquire academic and vocational skills that will promote a successful transition to adulthood.
Principle 7: Continuous effort
Interventions require daily or weekly effort by family members so that the youth and family have frequent opportunities to demonstrate their commitment. Advantages of intensive and multifaceted efforts to change include more rapid problem resolution, earlier identification of when interventions need fine-tuning, continuous evaluation of outcomes, more frequent corrective interventions, more opportunities for family members to experience success and giving the family power to orchestrate their own changes.
Principle 8: Evaluation and accountability
Intervention effectiveness is evaluated continuously from multiple perspectives with MST team members held accountable for achieving successful outcomes. MST does not label families as “resistant, not ready for change or unmotivated.” This approach avoids blaming the family and places the responsibility for positive treatment outcomes on the MST team.
Principle 9: Generalization
Interventions are designed to invest the caregivers with the ability to address the family’s needs after the intervention is over. The caregiver is viewed as the key to long-term success. Family members drive the change process in collaboration with the MST therapist.
Most of these studies, however, have been closely supervised by Dr. Scott W. Henggeler, its founder, causing questions of research bias. More independent research is needed.
evaluated MST to determine the bottom-line economics.
“Based on the Institute’s estimates, a typical average cost per MST participant is about $4,743. Overall, taxpayers gain approximately $31,661 in subsequent criminal justice cost savings for each program participant. Adding the benefits that accrue to crime victims increases the expected net present value to $131,918 per participant, which is equivalent to a benefit-to cost ratio of $28.33 for every dollar spent.” Similarly, a recent report by the Midland County Michigan Probate Court showed that MST cost benefits ranged up to $199,374.
In a 2010 Midland, Mich., study, MST was shown to
MST programs are intended for youth with serious clinical problems (violence, criminality, drug abuse) who are at very high risk of out-of-home placement in residential settings. Fourteen of the 21 published MST outcome studies, 10 of which focused on youth presenting very serious criminal or antisocial behavior, examined incarceration and out-of-home placement outcomes. Across these studies, MST produced, on average, greater than a 60% reduction in residential placements in comparison with youth receiving more traditional services. MST greatly reduced rates of incarceration, hospitalization and other costly residential services.
In the United States, MST is being used in Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Scotland are implementing MST.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/juvenile-offender-therapy-praised/
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/for-1-family-youth-therapy-program-a-success/
FSRC—Family Services Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina
More than 250 journal articles and book chapters are available at no charge upon request.
The most comprehensive description of MST clinical procedures, quality assurance, and outcomes is provided by:
Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
While the most widely disseminated form of MST is juvenile justice, which addresses the problems of adolescents who typically have significant histories of committing crime, there are variations that deal with such issues as substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, problem sexual behavior, abuse and neglect
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, psychiatric disorders and a range of other serious behavioral issues.
History
The seeds from which MST grew were planted in the 1970s when Dr. Scott W. Henggeler was getting his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia and beginning his professional career at Memphis State University. At the time, he came to believe that existing treatments of juvenile offenders had diminished chances of success because they often ignored the known risk factors for delinquencyJuvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
and were poor at engaging families in treatment.
Based on this, he designed a treatment, MST, that aimed to address risk factors comprehensively and provided treatment directly where problems occur—in homes, schools and community settings. And, he recognized that empowering families was the key to improving the lives of juvenile offenders.
In 1992, the Family Services Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina was formed to pursue the development, validation and dissemination of evidence-based treatments, including MST. In 1996, MST Services was established as the university-affiliated, technology- transfer organization for MST. MST Services offers comprehensive assistance to agencies that use MST.
Treatment model
Increasing the parenting skills of caregivers and changing the behavior of violent and criminal youth is the foundation of the MST model.Unlike many other treatment models where the troubled youth sees a therapist at a clinic once a week, MST therapists go to the youth’s home, school and community. In this way, the whole environment of the youth can be focused on and positive change effected. Parents and caregivers are brought into the process. Studies have shown MST to be more effective than standard treatments. These conclusions are based on the findings from 21 published outcome studies (19 randomized, two quasi-experimental) with youths presenting serious clinical problems and their families. These studies included more than 2,500 families.
MST has high rates of treatment completion because therapists provide treatment in the families’ homes and other community settings. Going to the home overcomes the high dropout rates of other treatments because caregivers often have trouble getting their families to appointments.
MST integrates intervention techniques that have the most empirical support, including behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral and pragmatic family therapies. Because of the collaboration with family and caregivers, treatment goals that the therapist can help achieve are established.
Out-of-home placements, such as juvenile detention, residential treatment, psychiatric hospitalization and boot camps, have proved largely ineffective in achieving positive and lasting results.
Out-of-home placements may be unsuccessful because the adolescent returns home to the same conditions that were there before he or she left. The youth often resumes drug use, stealing, truancy, staying out late or all night with other out-of-control youths. Added to this mix is the juvenile offender may have picked up new ideas for criminal activities while in out-of-home placement.
To break this cycle, MST interventions work to
- increase the caregivers' parenting skills
- improve family relations
- involve the youth with friends who do not participate in criminal behavior
- help him or her get better grades or develop a vocationVocationA vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
- help the adolescent participate in positive activities, such as sports or school clubs
- create a support network of extended family, neighbors and friends to help the caregivers maintain the changes
Family members collaborate with MST therapists in designing a treatment plan. The plan builds on the strengths in their lives, which makes it more likely the family will be successful during and after treatment.
Adaptations
There are currently 13 adaptations being studied. Four are in the later stages of development and implementation.- Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN)
- Psychiatric
- Substance Abuse
- Problem Sexual Behavior
Principles
MST is based on nine principles.Principle 1: Finding the fit
An assessment is made to understand the "fit" between identified problems and the entire context of the youth's environment. Assessing the “fit” of the youth's successes also helps guide the treatment process.
Principle 2: Focusing on positives and strengths
MST therapists and team members emphasize the positives they find and use strengths in the youth’s world as levers for positive change.
Principle 3: Increasing responsibility
Interventions are designed to promote responsible behavior and decrease irresponsible actions by family members.
Principle 4: Present focused, action oriented and well defined
Interventions deal with what’s happening now in the delinquent’s life. Therapists look for action that can be taken immediately, targeting specific and well-defined problems. Family members focus on present-oriented solutions, versus gaining insight or focusing on the past.
Principle 5: Targeting sequences
Interventions target behavior sequences within and between the various interacting elements of the adolescent’s life—family, teachers, friends, home, school and community—that sustain identified problems.
Principle 6: Developmentally appropriate
Interventions are set up to be appropriate to the youth’s age and fit his or her developmental needs. A developmental emphasis stresses building the adolescent’s ability to get along well with peers and acquire academic and vocational skills that will promote a successful transition to adulthood.
Principle 7: Continuous effort
Interventions require daily or weekly effort by family members so that the youth and family have frequent opportunities to demonstrate their commitment. Advantages of intensive and multifaceted efforts to change include more rapid problem resolution, earlier identification of when interventions need fine-tuning, continuous evaluation of outcomes, more frequent corrective interventions, more opportunities for family members to experience success and giving the family power to orchestrate their own changes.
Principle 8: Evaluation and accountability
Intervention effectiveness is evaluated continuously from multiple perspectives with MST team members held accountable for achieving successful outcomes. MST does not label families as “resistant, not ready for change or unmotivated.” This approach avoids blaming the family and places the responsibility for positive treatment outcomes on the MST team.
Principle 9: Generalization
Interventions are designed to invest the caregivers with the ability to address the family’s needs after the intervention is over. The caregiver is viewed as the key to long-term success. Family members drive the change process in collaboration with the MST therapist.
Evidence of effectiveness
The first controlled study of MST with juvenile offenders was published in 1986. It was followed by three randomized clinical trials with violent and chronic juvenile. MST demonstrated long-term reductions in criminal activity, drug-related arrests, violent offenses and incarceration. In all, there have been 21 published outcome studies (19 randomized, two quasi-experimental) with youths presenting serious clinical problems and their families. These studies included more than 4,800 families.Most of these studies, however, have been closely supervised by Dr. Scott W. Henggeler, its founder, causing questions of research bias. More independent research is needed.
Cost effectiveness
The Washington State Institute for Public PolicyWashington State Institute for Public Policy
The Washington State Institute for Public Policy, a creation of the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington, researches public policy issues of interest to the legislature and state agencies, in association with The Evergreen State College....
evaluated MST to determine the bottom-line economics.
“Based on the Institute’s estimates, a typical average cost per MST participant is about $4,743. Overall, taxpayers gain approximately $31,661 in subsequent criminal justice cost savings for each program participant. Adding the benefits that accrue to crime victims increases the expected net present value to $131,918 per participant, which is equivalent to a benefit-to cost ratio of $28.33 for every dollar spent.” Similarly, a recent report by the Midland County Michigan Probate Court showed that MST cost benefits ranged up to $199,374.
In a 2010 Midland, Mich., study, MST was shown to
- save the county almost $2 million with MST
- have an average saving per youth served of $198,216
- lead to healthier families and reduced recidivism
Alternative to incarceration and out-of-home placement
According to the Juvenile Policy Institute, the average cost of out-of home-placement for a youth is $240.99 per day.MST programs are intended for youth with serious clinical problems (violence, criminality, drug abuse) who are at very high risk of out-of-home placement in residential settings. Fourteen of the 21 published MST outcome studies, 10 of which focused on youth presenting very serious criminal or antisocial behavior, examined incarceration and out-of-home placement outcomes. Across these studies, MST produced, on average, greater than a 60% reduction in residential placements in comparison with youth receiving more traditional services. MST greatly reduced rates of incarceration, hospitalization and other costly residential services.
Dissemination
As of 2010, MST Services has a network of partners with 480 teams in 31 states, the District of Columbia and 12 foreign countriesIn the United States, MST is being used in Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Scotland are implementing MST.
Recognition
MST has been cited by numerous organizations and governmental entities for its success in reducing long-term rates of rearrest and out-of home placement for violent and chronic juvenile offenders.- The Blueprints for Violence PreventionThe Blueprint for Violence PreventionThe Blueprint for Violence Prevention was a research program developed at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at University of Colorado in Boulder. Its goal was to identify model violence-preventing programs for implementation in Colorado...
The Blueprints for Violence Prevention identifies outstanding violence and drug prevention programs that meet a high scientific standard of effectiveness. - U.S. Surgeon General The surgeon general serves as "America's doctor" by providing the best scientific information available on how Americans can improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury.
- Washington State Institute for Public PolicyWashington State Institute for Public PolicyThe Washington State Institute for Public Policy, a creation of the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington, researches public policy issues of interest to the legislature and state agencies, in association with The Evergreen State College....
The institute conducts nonpartisan research using its own policy analysts and economists, specialists from universities and consultants to determine the cost benefit of treatment models. - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesCenters for Medicare and Medicaid ServicesThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services , previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration , is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with state governments to administer...
(CMMS) A United States Department of Health and Human Services agency, CMMS administers Medicare and helps states run Medicaid. Because CMMS has endorsed MST, some states can use Medicaid funding to partially pay for the program. - Coalition for Evidence-Based PolicyEvidence-based policyEvidence-based policy is public policy informed by rigorously established objective evidence. It is an extension of the idea of evidence-based medicine to all areas of public policy...
The coalition identifies social interventions that produce sizable and long-term benefits. Its purpose is to give policymakers and practitioners the information needed to distinguish the few interventions that have rigorous, scientific evidence to back them up. - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to...
(SAMHSA) Part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA seeks to lessen the negative impact of substance abuse and mental illness throughout the U.S. - New Freedom Commission on Mental HealthNew Freedom Commission on Mental HealthThe controversial New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was established by U.S. President George W. Bush in April 2002 to conduct a comprehensive study of the U.S. mental health service delivery system and make recommendations based on its findings...
The commission studies public and private mental-health services to find effective treatments, services and technologies. - Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionOffice of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionThe Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is an office of the United States Department of Justice and a component of the Office of Justice Programs....
(OJJDP) OJJDP works to enhance juvenile-justice policies and practices. - National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) The institute encourages scientific research on drug abuse and works to disseminate treatments that work.
- Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) A nonprofit organization, IOM works independently of the government in giving unbiased advice on medicine and health so that informed decisions can be made toward improving health in the U.S.
- Institute for Public Policy ResearchInstitute for Public Policy ResearchThe IPPR is the leading progressive think-tank in the UK. It produces research and policy ideas committed to upholding values of social justice, democratic reform and environmental sustainability. IPPR is based in London and IPPR North has branches in Newcastle and Manchester.It was founded in...
(IPPR) A United Kingdom organization, IPPR researches and analyzes policy on wide-ranging topics from global warming to juveniles engaged in criminal activity. - Office of Justice ProgramsOffice of Justice ProgramsThe Office of Justice Programs is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, assistance to state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies through grants, and assistance to crime victims.The major bureaus...
(OJP) OJP, part of the U.S. Justice Departments, helps state and local justice systems develop strategies for dealing with crime. - Center for Substance Abuse PreventionCenter for Substance Abuse PreventionThe Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is an agency of the United States government under the Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...
(CSAP) CSAP, a part of SAMHSA, is charged with providing national leadership in the fight against substance abuse. MST is listed in CSAP’s National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs and was a recipient of a 2000 Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Program award. - Center for Substance Abuse TreatmentCenter for Substance Abuse TreatmentThe Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is an agency of the United States government. It is a part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...
(CSAT) An agency under the umbrella of SAMHSA, CSAT’s mission is to increase the accessibility and improve the quality of community-based, drug-and-alcohol treatment services. - National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of HealthThe National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH) NIH is the federal agency that conducts and gives backing to biomedical and health-related research. The agency has found MST effective, saying “program evaluations have demonstrated reductions in long-term rates of rearrest, violent crime arrest, and out-of-home placements.” - National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) NAMI is a nonprofit, grassroots advocacy organization that works to improve the lives of people with mental illness. It has lauded MST for being “successful in reducing costly out-of-home placements and criminal recidivism.”
- Mental Health America (MHA), formerly called the National Mental Health Association, is a national, nonprofit organization that promotes better mental health and helps those with mental illness. In 2004, MHA wrote, “Research indicates that Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is one of the best available treatment approaches for youth who have mental health treatment needs and who are involved in the juvenile justice system.”
Further reading
Two stories from the Post and Courier (Charleston, S. C.) on MSThttp://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/juvenile-offender-therapy-praised/
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/22/for-1-family-youth-therapy-program-a-success/
FSRC—Family Services Research Center at the Medical University of South Carolina
More than 250 journal articles and book chapters are available at no charge upon request.
The most comprehensive description of MST clinical procedures, quality assurance, and outcomes is provided by:
Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.