Multisystemic Therapy as a Promising Alternative
Author:
Robert E. Pushak - Child and Youth Mental Health Services
Author
Note:
The author would like to thank Scott Henggeler, Dan Edwards,
Don Gordon, and Leonard Bickman for their input and feedback
on this article.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed
to Robert E. Pushak, B.A., M.T.S., Child and Youth Mental
Health Services, 740 Carmi Ave., Penticton, BC V2A 8P9, Canada;
E-mail: bpushak@shaw.ca.
Abstract:
The recent surgeon general's report on mental health raises
fundamental concerns about the effectiveness of child mental
health services. There is a significant gap between research-based
treatment programs and current community practice, and there
is substantial evidence that most current mental health programs
for children and youth are ineffective and in some cases even
harmful. There are several barriers to the dissemination of
empirically supported treatments. Multisystemic therapy (MST)
is an example of a model program with strong empirical support
for effectiveness. The treatment protocols and quality-assurance
mechanisms used by MST are an essential factor for achieving
positive clinical outcomes.
