Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Center of Excellence: MST Services, LLC
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.
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Clinical Appropriateness
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.