With positive outcomes highlighted in more than 90 published studies, Multisystemic Therapy (MST®) is a community- and family-focused intervention transforming the lives of at-risk youth.
Riley Children’s Health psychologists Gabriela Rodríguez, PhD, HSPP, and Amanda Broderick, PhD, HSPP, lead Indiana’s statewide implementation of MST, a partnership between Indiana University School of Medicine and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
Designed for youth ages 12 to 17, MST considers individual behaviors and the systemic context in which they occur. MST therapists, available for consultation 24/7, work to empower at-risk youth and their families to be agents of change in developing healthier environments that improve mental health and eliminate unwanted behaviors. Riley Children’s is home to one of three MST teams serving central Indiana and is the only team in the state that provides MST before youth become involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare systems.
“By the time youth become system-involved, their behaviors tend to be fairly severe, their caregivers tend to be overwhelmed and burned out, and families have typically exhausted their emotional, financial and other resources for support,” said Dr. Broderick. “That’s why early intervention for youth who are at risk due to serious behavior problems or substance use is so important.”
At Riley Children’s, between October 2022 and June 2025, 52 youths were seen in the MST program for an average duration of 4.8 months. By the end of treatment, 92% were living at home, 89% were in school or working, and 92% had no new juvenile arrests. In 2024, at all sites offering MST in Indiana, 92 youth were served with treatment duration averaging 3.7 months. Following treatment, 71% were living at home, 73% were in school or working, and 76% had no juvenile arrests.
Overall, the program is effective in transforming the lives of at-risk youth. A 22-year follow-up study on the effects of MST through midlife showed that youth who received MST had 75% fewer violent felony arrests.
“MST provides therapists with a systematic way of prioritizing interventions so that changes can be made quickly and effectively but are still tailored to the unique characteristics of each family,” said Dr. Rodríguez. “It’s difficult to find providers who feel competent working with teenagers who have serious behavior problems. With MST, quality assurance measures are built into every level of the program to support therapists in adhering to the model with fidelity.”
The initiative also addresses important gaps for caregivers, many of whom lack support and resources to navigate complex mental health and juvenile justice systems. MST teaches caregivers how to respond effectively to challenging behaviors, including how to reduce involvement with negative peers and more.
About pediatric and adolescent behavioral Health at Riley Children’s Health
Child and adolescent psychiatrists and clinical child psychologists at Riley Children’s focus on advanced, evidence-based evaluations and treatments to provide expert care for psychiatric diagnoses and behavior problems. The team partners with children and families to develop a treatment plan to address each child’s mental health needs.