Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Transportability of Multisystemic Therapy to Community Settings: Can a Program Sustain Outcomes Without MST Services Oversight?

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Child & Youth Care Forum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Multisystemic therapy (MST) has been shown to be effective in treating delinquent behavior in youth. However, some community agencies with MST programs are unable to afford the ongoing costs of licensure and quality assurance oversight provided by MST services.

Objective

The present study utilized retrospective archival analyses of court charges to evaluate and compare the outcomes of youth participating in MST in a community mental health center with and without MST services oversight.

Results

The results showed that court charges decreased for youth in the oversight group but not for youth in the non-oversight group. The two groups also differed in age, pretreatment charges, therapist contacts, and progress on goals.

Conclusions

Implications of our findings are discussed in terms of policy changes affecting program structure and outcome as well as how community settings can afford ongoing support of evidence-based treatment programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barth, R. P., Greeson, J. K. P., Guo, S., Green, R. L., Hurley, S., & Sisson, J. (2007). Outcomes for youth receiving intensive in-home therapy or residential care: A comparison using propensity scores. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 77, 497–505.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bond, G. R., Drake, R. E., McHugo, G. J., Peterson, A. E., Jones, A. M., & Williams, J. (2012). Long-term sustainability of evidence-based practices in community mental health agencies. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 41(2), 228–236. doi:10.1007/s10488-012-0461-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borduin, C. M., Mann, B. J., Cone, L. T., Henggeler, S. W., Fucci, B. R., Blaske, D. M., et al. (1995). Multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders: Long-term prevention of criminality and violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 569–578.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, J. E., & Schoenwald, S. K. (2010). Ethnic similarity, therapist adherence, and long-term multisystemic therapy outcomes. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 19, 3–16.

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chorpita, B. F., Yim, L. M., Donkervoet, J. C., Arensdorf, A., Amundsen, M. J., McGee, C., et al. (2002). Toward large-scale implementation of empirically supported treatments for children: A review and observations by the Hawaii empirical basis to services task force. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9, 165–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, N. M., Ronan, K. R., & Borduin, C. M. (2004). Multisystemic treatment: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 411–419.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, E. (2007). Evidence-based juvenile offender programs: Program description, quality assurance, and cost. Olympia: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, Document No. 07-06-1201.

  • Glisson, C., Schoenwald, S. K., Hemmelgarn, A., Green, P., Dukes, D., Armstrong, K. S., et al. (2010). Randomized trial of MST and ARC in a two-level evidence-based treatment implementation strategy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 537–550.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Henggeler, S. W. (2004). Decreasing effect sizes for effectiveness studies-implications for the transport of evidence-based treatments: Comment on Curtis, Ronan, and Borduin (2004). Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 420–423.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henggeler, S. W., Rowland, M. D., Halliday-Boykins, C., Sheidow, A. J., Ward, D. M., & Randall, J. (2003). One-year follow-up of multisystemic therapy as an alternative to the hospitalization of youth in psychiatric crisis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 543–551.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (1998). Multisystemic treatment of antisocial behavior in youth. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Borduin, C. M., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henggeler, S. W., Schoenwald, S. K., Rowland, M. D., & Cunningham, P. B. (2002). Serious emotional disturbance in children and adolescence: Multisystemic therapy. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huey, S. J., Henggeler, S. W., Brondino, M. J., & Pickrel, S. G. (2000). Mechanisms of change in multisystemic therapy: Reducing delinquent behavior through therapist adherence and improved family and peer functioning. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 451–467.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huey, S. J., Henggeler, S. W., Rowland, M. D., Halliday-Boykins, C., Cunningham, P. B., & Pickrel, S. G. (2004). Multisystemic therapy effects on attempted suicide by youth presenting psychiatric emergencies. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43, 183–190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolko, D. J., Dorn, L. D., Bukstein, O. G., Pardini, D., Holden, E. A., & Hart, J. (2009). Community versus clinic-based modular treatment of children with early-onset ODD or CD: A clinical trial with 3-year follow-up. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37(5), 591–609. doi:10.1007/s10802-009-9303-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Multisystemic Therapy Services. (2007). MST services: Organizational biography. Retrieved Feb 13, 2008 from http://www.mstservices.com/organizational_biography.php.

  • Nelson, T. D., Steele, R. G., & Mize, J. A. (2006). Practitioner attitudes toward evidence-based practice: Themes and challenges. Administrative Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 33, 398–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odgen, T., & Hagen, K. A. (2006). Multisystemic therapy of serious behaviour problems in youth: Sustainability of effectiveness 2 years after intake. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 11, 142–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odgen, T., Hagen, K., & Anderson, O. (2007). Sustainability of the effectiveness of a programme of Multisystemic treatment (MST) across participant groups in the second year of operation. Journal of Children’s Services, 2, 4–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odgen, T., & Halliday-Boykins, C. (2004). Multisystemic treatment of antisocial adolescents in Norway: Replication of clinical outcomes outside of the US. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 9, 77–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenwald, S. K., Carter, R. E., Chapman, J. E., & Sheidow, A. J. (2008). Therapist adherence and organizational effects on change in youth behavior problems 1 year after multisystemic therapy. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 35, 379–394.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenwald, S. K., Chapman, J. E., Sheidow, A. J., & Carter, R. E. (2009). Long-term youth criminal outcomes in MST transport: The impact of therapist adherence and organizational climate and structure. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38(1), 91–105.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenwald, S. K., Sheidow, A. J., & Letourneau, E. J. (2004). Toward effective quality assurance in evidence-based practice: Links between expert consultation, therapist fidelity, and child outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 94–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenwald, S. K., Sheidow, A. J., Letourneau, E. J., & Liao, J. G. (2003). Transportability of multisystemic therapy: Evidence for multilevel influences. Mental Health Services Research, 5, 223–239.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sheidow, A. J., Bradford, W. D., Henggeler, S. W., Rowland, M. D., Halliday-Boykins, C., Schoenwald, S. K., et al. (2004). Treatment costs for youth receiving multisystemic therapy or hospitalization after a psychiatric crisis. Psychiatric Services, 55, 548–554. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.55.5.548.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith-Boydston, J. M. (2005). Providing a range of services to fit the needs of youth in community mental health centers. In R. G. Steele & M. C. Roberts (Eds.), Handbook of mental health services for children, adolescents, and families (pp. 103–116). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Smith-Boydston, J. M., & Nelson, T. D. (2008). Adoption of evidence-based treatments in community settings: Obstacles and opportunities. In R. G. Steele, T. D. Elkin, & M. C. Roberts (Eds.), Handbook of evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents: Bridging science and practice (pp. 521–535). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, A. L. (2006). Delinquency cases in juvenile courts, 2002. Office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention: Fact sheet. Retrieved Jan 28, 2008 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200602.pdf.

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Timmons-Mitchell, J., Bender, M. B., Kishna, M. A., & Mitchell, C. C. (2006). An independent effectiveness trail of multisystemic therapy with juvenile justice youth. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35, 227–236.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). 2005 American community survey: Data profile highlights. Retrieved Oct 12, 2006 from http://factfinder.census.gov.

  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Youth violence: A report of the surgeon general. Rockville, MD: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, B., Han, S., Harris, V., Catron, T., Ngo, V. K., Caron, A., et al. (2013). An independent randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with non-court-referred adolescents with serious conduct problems. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(6), 1027.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisz, J. R., Chorpita, B. F., Palinkas, L. A., Schoenwald, S. K., Miranda, J., Bearman, S. K., et al. (2012). Testing standard and modular designs for psychotherapy treating depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in youth. Archives of General Psychiatry, 69, 274–282. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.147.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a Grant from APA Div 53.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Julianne M. Smith-Boydston

    Present address: Department of Psychology, Washburn University, Topeka, KS, USA

  2. Rochelle J. Holtzman

    Present address: St Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Child Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

    Julianne M. Smith-Boydston, Rochelle J. Holtzman & Michael C. Roberts

  2. Bert Nash Center, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Julianne M. Smith-Boydston

Authors
  1. Julianne M. Smith-Boydston
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rochelle J. Holtzman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael C. Roberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julianne M. Smith-Boydston.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Smith-Boydston, J.M., Holtzman, R.J. & Roberts, M.C. Transportability of Multisystemic Therapy to Community Settings: Can a Program Sustain Outcomes Without MST Services Oversight?. Child Youth Care Forum 43, 593–605 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9255-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-014-9255-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation