Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
MST is a family-focused, evidence-based treatment program designed to successfully assist youth struggling with complex emotional, social, and behavioral issues in transitioning from residential care back to their community.
MST interventions are delivered in the youth’s natural environment (home, school, or community) and designed in full collaboration with the child’s parents or legal guardians, family members, teachers, and other interested parties.
The goal of this program is to prevent the removal of youth from their homes and/or their involvement in the juvenile justice system. We help youth develop the abilities they need to positively modify their behavior, while also providing parents and primary caregivers the skills and resources to independently address these challenges.
In-home visits are scheduled based on family needs and can range from multiple visits per week to one visit per month.
Who Should Receive MST?
MST is effective in helping youth ages 10-17 with chronic, violent behavior and youth with serious emotional issues, including:
- Truancy and academic problems
- Serious disrespect and disobedience
- Aggressive behavior such as fighting and property destruction
- Criminal activity
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Running away
- Other conduct disordered behaviors
What Our Therapists Do
- Conduct comprehensive functional assessments of youth in the context of their families, peer group, school, and neighborhood
- Seek to understand the “fit” between the youth’s problems and the factors which contribute to them
- Empower parents to address the needs of youth (i.e., structure, support) more effectively
- Focus on helping parents build supportive social networks in their community
- Emphasize long-term change that families can maintain after their involvement in MST ends
What our community is saying
“I have had the privilege of working with One Hope United and their Multisystemic Therapy program for the last three years...Not only have they worked with our children and their families to address the issues that have contributed to their delinquent behavior, but they have made time to participate in our court proceedings so that the children and families can see they have an entire team working toward their success. We are so fortunate in Kane County to have the benefit of their dedicated caseworkers and managers.”
Services
We Offer
- Immediate full assessment (family, school and community)
- Minimum of twice weekly in-home therapy
- Monthly reports to casework staff
- MST therapist participation in Juvenile Court
- Parent education and support
- Substance abuse counseling
- 24/7 case management
-
Weekly supervision and telephone case consultation
- Treatment averaging 3-5 months
Cost
There is no cost to families in this program.
Referrals
Contact us for the appropriate referral form.
We accept referrals from the following Illinois counties: Clinton, Crawford, DeKalb, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Kane, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, McHenry, Richland, St. Clair, Wabash, Washington, White, and Wayne.