MultiSystemic Therapy Treatment Foster Care October 2001 through June 2005

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Multi-Systemic Therapy/ Treatment Foster
CareOctober 2001 through June 2005

• October 2005
• Kim Pascual
• Research Evaluation

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Byrne Grant Oct. 2001-2005

• Grant funds added two MST-specific short term
  Treatment Foster Care (TFC) beds.
• TFC was intended to provide short term out of
  home care placement without disrupting MST
  Treatment.
• TFC was also intended to help reduce out of home
  placements to OYA DHS

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Population Served

• 133 youth were served by MST from October 2001
  through June 2005.
• 66 were referred as having a substance abuse
  issue, 23 were referred as being gang-affected
  or involved, and 11 were referred with both.
• All youth were medium or high risk.

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Demographics

• 79 Male
• Mean Age 15.93
• Mean age of first criminal referral 12.54
• Mean number of prior crim. referrals 5.55
• Average ORS severity level 8.51
• Average LOS in MST 4.8 months

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Living Arrangement at Exit
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Treatment Foster Care

• TFC implemented in May 2002.
• 45 youth participated in TFC with some youth
  being placed more than once for a total of 67
  placement episodes.
• Average LOS was 13.76 days.
• 68 of the TFC episodes were exited as
  successful.
• Of the 42 who exited MST, 62 successfully
  completed MST.
• 6 of the 9 youth who ran from TFC went on to
  successfully complete MST.

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Comparison Group

• A contemporary group of medium high risk youth
  on probation with at least one risk factor from
  the JCP Substance Abuse Domain.
• The comparison group had 10 more Anglo youth and
  8 fewer African American youth.
• Comparison group had a much higher percentage of
  medium risk youth.
• Average age and average age of first criminal
  referral were close to those for MST.

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Commitments to OYA
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Family Functioning

• Pre-/Post FACES II surveys were completed by both
  the youth and caregiver to measure family
  functioning.
• Measures family functioning on two dimensions
  Family Cohesion and Family Adaptability.
• Scores on either dimension are collapsed into
  least balanced or more balanced.
• There were 76 pairs of caregiver pre-/post
  surveys and 68 youth pre-/post pairs.

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Family Cohesion

• The emotional bonding that family members have
  toward one another.

64 of Caregivers remained balanced or improved
to more balanced compared with 57 of youth.
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Family Adaptability

• The ability of the family system to change its
  power structure, role relationships, and
  relationship rules in response to situational and
  developmental stress.

76 of Caregivers remained balanced or improved
to balanced compared to 60 of youth.
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Arrests Recidivism
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Chronic Offenders

• State definition of chronic offenders are those
  who have had three or more subsequent misdemeanor
  or felony referrals within 12 months of their
  first referral.
• Of the 133 MST youth served, 49 (65) were
  chronic offenders
• Of these 65 youth, 29 (49) successfully exited
  the MST program.
• Of the 45 youth who participated in TFC, 21 were
  part of this chronic offender group.

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Conclusions

• MST youth are remaining with their family or in a
  family like environment upon completing the
  program.
• MST appears to be helping reduce commitments to
  OYA when compared to a similar group of youth on
  probation.
• Placement in TFC seems to be having an impact on
  helping youth to successfully complete MST.
• The rate of recidivism is lowest for youth who
  successfully complete MST.

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Conclusions cont.

• Data confirm that MST is serving some of the more
  severe juveniles in the department and having an
  impact on successful results and outcomes for
  these youth.
• The MST program appears to be having an effect on
  family functioning.

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Questions or Comments

• Emailkim.a.pascual_at_co.multnomah.or.us
• Phone [phone]