Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

Center of Excellence: MST Services, LLC

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Summary

MST is an intensive, family-based intervention for youth at risk of severe system consequences within their family, school or community due to serious externalizing, anti-social, and/or challenging behaviors. For example, MST may be appropriate for youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system and/or who are at risk of out-of-home placement due to a history of criminogenic behavior.

Eligibility Criteria

Appropriate for: Youth at risk of severe system consequences within their family, school, or community due to serious externalizing, anti-social, and/or challenging behaviors.

The following are indicators that MST may be medically necessary and appropriate:

The youth is aged 12 to 17 or of an appropriate developmental age to receive the service; and
The youth exhibits serious externalizing, anti-social, aggressive, and/or criminogenic behaviors that may place the child or youth at risk of out-of-home placement and
The youth resides in a family, community or home-like setting that is conducive to a family-focused treatment model.

Age

12 to 17 years old.

Other Considerations

May not be appropriate for:

Youth living independently.
Sex offending in the absence of other anti-social behavior.
Youth with moderate to severe autism.
Actively homicidal, suicidal, or psychotic.
Youth whose psychiatric problems are the primary reason leading to referral or youth who have severe and serious psychiatric problems.

MST is a family-based program for youth ages 12 to 17 who show serious difficulty with behavior. MST is often used for youth who have had trouble with the law or might be at risk of severe system consequences, including out-of-home placement.

MST involves family and community supports in therapy sessions and other interventions to help youth work on behaviors such as breaking the law or using drugs. MST also helps parents learn skills to help them handle these behaviors at home, in school, with their peers, or in other community settings.
MST teaches parents and caregivers how to handle challenges with their kids and teenagers at home, in school, with friends, or in their neighborhood.
Other key components of the model include:
- Multiple weekly visits in the community, home, school, or neighborhood over a three-to-five-month period.
- 24/7 services to ensure timely crisis management.
- Outcome-based discharge criteria.

Teams of three to five master’s level clinicians (one clinical supervisor and two to four therapists with a maximum caseload of six families per therapist).

The supervisor is responsible for facilitating one group supervision meeting per week, clinician development, and additional trainings as needed (the supervisor may also have primary or shared responsibility for program management tasks).

Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) (including waivered or registered professionals) and Clinical Trainees acting within the scope of their license and training may provide MST. All providers must have an active certification and be acting within the scope of their license and training to claim for MST.

Orientation Training

Therapist/Supervisors

Manual (6-8 hours).

Introduction Webinar (1-1.5 hours).

12 eLearning Modules (16-20 hours).

Experimental Classroom Training (in-person; 2 days, 14 hours).

Supervisors/Backup Supervisors

Manual (1-2 hours).

Orientation Overview (virtual; 3 hours).

Orientation Training (virtual or in-person; 13 hours).

Program Managers (optional)

Two, 1-hour meetings with MST Expert (each module).

Ongoing Training

Therapist/Supervisors

Quarterly Booster Training (in person; up to 7 hours).

Quarterly Supervisor Booster Training (in person; 3-4 hours).
Orientation Training

Therapist/Supervisors

Independent learning format for readings and webinars.

In-person Experimental Classroom Training held either on-site (new team startup) or regionally for replacement staff (synchronous and asynchronous).

Supervisors/Backup Supervisors

Group format completed either in a virtual format or regionally in-person.

Program Managers (optional)

Program Manager and MST Expert assess appropriateness for any or all of the modules. Modules completed virtually in individual sessions with the MST Expert.

Ongoing Training

Therapist/Supervisors: In-person, on site.
Orientation Training

Therapist/Supervisors

MST Manual: Multisystemic Therapy for Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents, second edition.

Introduction Webinar.

12 eLearning Modules:

MST Clinical Implementation.

MST Therapist’s Role in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI).

Family Therapy Concepts and Strategies.

Family Interventions: Improving Parent-Child Relations.

Family Interventions: Improving Couples Relations.

Helping Families Build Social Supports.

Collaborating with Community Stakeholders.

Promoting Educational and Vocational Success.

Changing Relations with Peers.

Individual Interventions.

Addressing Aggression and other Risk of Harm.

Addressing Substance Abuse.

Experiential Classroom Training:

Application of readings and eLearning materials.

Supervisors/Backup Supervisors

Orientation Overview:

4 Areas of Supervisor Responsibility.

Referral and Caseload Management.

Supervisor Resources.

Supervisor Orientation:

MST Group Supervision.

MST Clinician Development.

MST CQI.

Stakeholder Relationships and Collaboration.

Supervisor’s Role in Referral and Caseload Management.

Development Planning for MST Supervisors.

Additional optional trainings available for Program Managers.

Ongoing Training

Therapist/Supervisors

Quarterly Booster Training on topic identified in collaboration with MST team (e.g., MST implementation, interventions used in MST treatment, MST outcomes).

Quarterly Supervisor Booster Training on topic identified in collaboration with MST team (e.g., Supervisor’s role in MST clinician development, MST program implementation; MST outcomes).
MST Services has applied to the Continuing Education Provider Approval (CEPA) program through the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). Once approved, all MST training participants will be provided with a record of course completion documenting the continuing education credit hours which can then be provided to the Board of Behavioral Sciences for those who hold a license regulated by the Board (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, and LEP).

MST Data Tool

Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

Center of Excellence: MST Services, LLC

Summary

Eligibility Criteria

Age

Other Considerations

Time Commitment

Training Modality

Training Curriculum Components

Continuing Education Credits

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