Multi-Systemic Therapy:
A Proven Approach to Reconnect Families and
Address Antisocial Behavior in Youth
Eckerd Youth Alternatives’ Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST) program provides intensive in-home treatment to youth and families in three Florida counties – Wakulla , Leon and Gadsden --that addresses multiple aspects of serious antisocial behavior in adolescents. MST is a pragmatic, goal-oriented and well-documented treatment approach that produces long-lasting outcomes in changing youths’ social networks that contributing to their antisocial behavior.

Improving Behavior and Improving Family Life
The goal of MST interventions are typically to improve caregiver discipline practices, enhance family relations, decrease unhealthy peer relationships, increase youth association with prosocial peers, improve youth school or vocational performance, engage youth in prosocial recreational outlets, and develop a support network of extended family, neighbors, and friends to help caregivers achieve and maintain such changes. Specific treatment techniques used to achieve these gains are integrated from therapies that have the most empirical support, including cognitive behavioral, behavioral, and the pragmatic family therapies.

The treatment plan is designed in collaboration with family members and is, therefore, family-driven rather than therapist-driven. The ultimate goal of MST is to empower families to build an environment, through the mobilization of  child, family, and community resources that promote health. The typical duration of  services is approximately 4 months, with multiple therapist-family contacts occurring each week.

Empirically Studied and Documented Approach
The Surgeon General,  National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, National alliance for the Mentally Ill, National Mental Health Association are just some of the entities that have identified MST as either demonstrating or showing considerable promise in the treatment of youth criminal behavior, substance abuse, and emotional disturbance.