This study examined the effectiveness of an evidence-based practice, multisystemic therapy (MST), conducted in a real-world mental health setting with youth in the juvenile justice system, as well as their families.
This is the first randomized clinical trial of MST with juvenile offenders in the United States conducted without direct oversight by the model developers. This study reports outcomes achieved for 93 youth randomly assigned to MST or treatment as usual (TAU) services through 18-month follow-up posttreatment for offense data and 6-month follow-up posttreatment for ratings of the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS). Outcomes included significant reduction in rearrest and improvement in four areas of functioning measured by the CAFAS for youth who received MST. Implications for the delivery of empirically supported treatments in real-world settings are discussed. (publisher abstract modified)