Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
About Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Multisystemic Therapy (MST) is an in-home, family-driven, community-based treatment for youth. The overarching goal of MST is to keep youth at home, in school, and engaged in pro-social activities. Through an intensive, yet relatively short-term (3-5 months) approach, MST therapists aim to uncover and assess the functional origins of adolescent behavioral problems across the different systems that impact the youth and family.
MST is delivered to a youth (ages 12-17) and their family by a therapist who is part of a small team of 2-4 therapists plus a supervisor who is fully dedicated to providing the MST model with 24/7 availability. Because MST is delivered in the home and community, each MST team has a service delivery area that can expand up to 90-minutes from the office.
Who Can Benefit From MST and How it Can Help
If a youth (ages 12-17):
- Meets criteria for having an imminent risk of out-of-home placement
- Exhibits physical and/or verbal aggression
- Exhibits delinquency, antisocial behaviors, and/or substance abuse
MST can help clients by:
- Decreasing long-term rates of re-arrest by 25%-75%
- Decreasing long-term rates of days in out-of-home placements by 47%-64%
- Decreasing adolescent psychiatric symptoms
- Decreasing adolescent substance use
- Improving family relations and functioning
Qualifications for NM MST Specialty Rate
Provider approval requires the following:
- Be an enrolled NM Medicaid Behavioral Health Provider
- Must hold an MST license from MST Services
- Meet the state licensure and provider enrollment requirements
- Be actively engaged in training, consultation, and oversight with Rocky Mountain MST Network
MST Training and Program Development Application
Complete an application if you would like to start an MST team at your agency and/or receive training.
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Learn More About MST by Watching Our "Ask the Expert MST" Series
Episode 1
In this video, Chris Mason (Rocky Mountain MST), interviewed by Gabrielle Manchego-Sanchez (COI), discusses frequently asked questions, the benefits, and the inner workings of Multisystemic Therapy.
Episode 2
In this video, Patricia Hennessey, LPCC (MST supervisor at the University of New Mexico MST Program), interviewed by Chris Mason (Rocky Mountain MST), share personal stories and expertise working with MST.