The Goals of MST are to:

--keep kids in their homes and out of formal institutions

--keep kids in school

--stop kids from getting new legal charges

--improve family relationships and functioning

--decrease alcohol and substance use

--get kids involved in positive social activities

--keep kids from hanging around with negative peers

The principles behind MST are:

--We help parents find the “fit” of their kids' behaviors:  what “drives” a child to fail in school,

get suspended, use marijuana or be physically or verbally aggressive?  If you know what contributes to a behavior, you know how to stop it!

--We focus on the positive.  We see your families' strengths and use those to help you change

 those drivers to the child's behaviors.

--The interventions we will work on together are designed to increase the effective, responsible

interactions between family members and those between family members and other systems

(school, peers, community).

--We are focused on what's happening in the present.  The interventions we work on together

will be very specific and ACTION oriented.

--We will find the habits and patterns in the way family members interact with each other and

those outside the family and help you change them so that they are more effective and positive.

--We will be sure that any interventions we work on are appropriate for your child’s age and

 level of development.

--MST is hard work!  It requires that caregivers work on interventions daily and/or weekly…and

 we will do whatever it takes to help you do that work!

--MST is constantly evaluating our work together to give you the best chance of success.  The

MST therapist is held accountable for making sure that we are working together effectively.

--The interventions and tools we use are things that you can use even after we’re gone.  And

 we know that parents are the key to success!

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