Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an intensive family-and community-based treatment program that focuses on the entire world of chronic and violent juvenile offenders — their homes and families, schools and teachers, neighborhoods and friends.
MST works with the toughest offenders. They are adolescents, male and female, between the ages of 12 and 17 who have very long arrest histories.
March 2012
Easter Seals UCP and Haven House's multi-systemic therapy (MST) program hosted officials from Chile's Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention this month in an effort to help Chile improve their youth crime rates and create their own successful MST program. Click here to read the full article.
February 2012
Essex County Council in the United Kingdom has decided to move forward with the use of a social impact bond to fund the expansion of MST teams within their community. Social impact bonds are a unique way to create funding methods to improve social issues. Funding is derived from private investors and returns are based on outcomes. The concept of social impact bonds has been growing in popularity over the past year. To learn more, click here to read the news article about Essex County's decision.
November 2011
Ultra Long-Term Study Demonstrates Lasting Effects of MST
MST continues to have positive effects on former participants more than 20 years after treatment. Charles Borduin of the University of Missouri followed up with clinical trial participants that completed treatment nearly 22 years earlier, on average. He found the following differences between participants who received MST and those who received individualized therapy:
MST continues to have positive effects on former participants more than 20 years after treatment. Charles Borduin of the University of Missouri followed up with clinical trial participants that completed treatment nearly 22 years earlier, on average. He found the following differences between participants who received MST and those who received individualized therapy:
- Violent felonies: Since completing treatment, 4.3 percent of juveniles treated with MST were arrested for a violent felony, compared to 15.5 percent of individual therapy participants.
- All felonies: Overall, 34.8 percent of MST participants committed a felony, compared to 54.8 percent of individual therapy participants.
- Misdemeanors: MST participants committed five times fewer misdemeanors than individual therapy participants.
- Family problems: Individual therapy participants were involved in family-related civil suits two times more often than MST participants.
