Frequently Asked Questions

MST is a family- and home-based treatment that strives to change how youth function in their natural settings (home, school, and neighborhood) in ways that promote positive social behavior while decreasing anti-social behavior.

The primary goals of MST are to:

• keep youth safely at home
• keep youth in school and/or working
• prevent youth from becoming involved with the law and reduce their criminal and/or antisocial behaviors (including, but not limited to, aggression, truancy, substance use)
• achieve these goals at a cost savings

MST typically uses a home-based model of service delivery, in which therapists meet the family and child where the need is, whether in the home, school, or community. Additionally, therapists may meet with you in multiple environments, multiple days per week.

Therapists have small caseloads of 5-6 families each, on average, to allow for a higher intensity of services, as compared to other traditional service models.

Your family will have access to your therapist, or another clinician within your therapist’s MST team, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members of an MST team collaborate to provide services in the home at times that are convenient to the family.

The average length of treatment is 4 months.

MST treats adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 (and their families, caregivers, etc.).

Together, you and your MST therapist will develop an understanding of current behaviors and concerns within the home, school, and community. This understanding will help you and your therapist build intervention strategies that are tailored to your unique situation. You will be asked to provide sustained effort during and in between sessions, with the support of your MST therapist.

MST therapists focus on collaborating with and empowering you as the parent/caregiver by using identified strengths to develop a natural support system (extended family, neighbors, friends, church members).