Multisystemic Therapy

Places for People believes in the value of early interventions to address behavioral health concerns before they result in severe disruptions. Research demonstrates that early interventions for youths with behavioral issues can reduce mental health disorders and rates of involvement with the juvenile court system.

Places for People provides Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for youths and their families. Program participants are referred by the City's juvenile court and certain St. Louis public and charter schools. This early intervention for youths and teens consists of engaging the entire family and extended support system in developing strategies to reduce risk and promote positive resolution of conflicts.

This early intervention therapy has several key goals:

• To preserve family placement for youth who are at-risk of disruptive and costly out-of-home placement due to ongoing delinquency, family conflict, untreated mental health issues, and substance use/abuse issues.
• To stabilize families who are experiencing high levels of conflict, and/or disorganization, resulting in recurring crises that interfere with optimal development of youth and the family system.
• To strengthen youth and families so that future challenges experienced during adolescence can be resolved by the family and a system of more natural supports.

In addition to benefiting the youth and his or her family, this early intervention also reduces the use of public-funded services, specifically out-of-home placements such as incarceration, residential treatment, and hospitalization.

MST is funded through the St. Louis Mental Health Board, Missouri Foundation for Health, and St. Louis County Children's Service Fund.

Click here to read a client's story which speaks to the value and success of this approach.