Within Kirklees we have an MST team which can support young people and their families with challenging behaviour which is putting them at risk of care proceedings or criminality. This service is accessed via a school referral form if you need a form please contact MST@kirklees.gov.uk or call 01484 414940
What is Multisystemic Therapy (MST)?
MST is a service for families who are struggling to manage the behaviour of young people aged 10 – 17 yrs. It helps families make changes to difficult behaviours that are causing them problems or putting their child at risk of going into care or custody. This could be aggression and violence at home, low school attendance and challenging behaviour in education, running away, hanging around with antisocial friends, using drugs and alcohol or self-harming and risky behaviours.
MST therapists go to where the young person lives and attends school. This is because we know that the different areas or “systems” in a young person’s life such as their family, friends, school and neighbourhood – all play a part in how they behave.
How does MST work?
MST therapists work intensively with families for three to five months and will meet with the family and other people in the young person’s life several times a week.
Visiting people in their home and community is helpful to families because appointments are arranged at convenient times and locations making it easier for them to take part.
MST are there when needed, and since problems don’t have office hours from 9 – 5, therapists on the team are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lots of research studies have shown that the MST approach achieves excellent, long-term results for young people and families.
What MST aims to achieve with families
Everything MST will do with a family is designed to make sense and will build on the strengths in their lives. This makes it more likely that a family will be successful in the future and maintain any changes made.
A completed course of MST will hopefully help to…
• Increase skills and confidence in managing difficult behaviour;
• Improve family relationships;
• Help the child make and keep positive friendships;
• Increase the child’s involvement with education and/or training;
• Improve school attendance and behaviour;
• Increase the child’s involvement in positive activities, sports or after-school clubs;
• Create a support network of wider family, neighbours and friends to help maintain the positive changes that made.
