Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an intensive family and community-based treatment program that focuses on addressing all environmental systems that impact chronic and violent juvenile offenders -- their homes and families, schools and teachers, neighborhoods and friends. MST recognizes that each system plays a critical role in a youth's world and each system requires attention when effective change is needed to improve the quality of life for youth and their families. MST works with the toughest offenders ages 12 through 17 who have a very long history of arrests.

• MST clinicians go to where the child is and are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• They work intensively with parents and caregivers to put them in control.
• The MST clinician works with the caregivers to keep the adolescent focused on school and gaining job skills.
• The MST Clinician and caregivers introduce the youth to sports and recreational activities as an alternative to hanging out.

After 30 years of research and 18 studies, MST repeatedly has been shown to:

• Keep kids in their home, reducing out-of-home placements up to 50 percent;
• Keep kids in school;
• Keep kids out of trouble, reducing re-arrest rates up to 70 percent;
• Improve family relations and functioning;
• Decrease adolescent psychiatric symptoms; and
• Decrease adolescent drug and alcohol use.

The Institute an MST Network Partner, which means we play an important role in shaping research on treatment effectiveness, transportability and dissemination. MST Network Partner organizations employ staffs that are fully trained in program development, including expert trainers/coaches. MST Services maintains an on-going working relationship with each network partner and focuses on staff development, quality improvement and quality assurance.

Reports & Publications

Resources:

• For more on MST see the developer's website at www.mstservices.com
• MST Summary

Maryland's MST Providers:

Community Solutions Inc. (Baltimore County) - Bert Otts, Program Director, botts@csimail.org

Community Counseling & Mentoring Services (Montgomery County, Prince George's County) - Tyler Calabrese, Assistant Program Director, tcalabrese@ccmsmh.com

Way Station (Frederick County, Washington County)- Claudia Weakland, Director of Child and Adolescent Services, cweakland@waystationinc.org

Reports & Publications