During the program selection and planning process it is important to research and compare available evidence-based programs to ensure that the selected program is the best fit for your community and existing resources. This tool is intended to help evaluate whether MST is a good fit for your community andwhether your community is ready to move forward with MST implementation.

The readiness and planning process involves five general steps. Steps 1 and 2 are covered in this document:

STEP 1: Program selection: Is MST a good fit for your community?

STEP 2: Assess the investment of key stakeholders

STEP 3: Plan for sustainability

STEP 4:Prepare for implementation

STEP 5: Develop a plan to assess program impact

Other tools to assist with program planning and promote sustainability can be found at .

The EPISCenter andMST Services are available to work with your community throughout the program selection, planning, and implementation process, including answering questions, reviewing plans, and participating in planning meetings. Contact information is provided at the end of this document.


MST Services has developed a six-stage Program Development MethodTM (PDM). This document attempts to outline steps important for Pennsylvania communities, while also indicating where these steps align with the stages of the MST Program Development MethodTM. As part of the process described below, interested communities should contact MST Services for more information.

  • The following risk and protective factors have been identified and prioritized by your community:

Risk Factors / Protective Factors
Family
  • Poor family management
  • Family conflict
  • Family history of antisocial behavior
  • Parental attitudes favorable to drug use and antisocial behavior
School
  • Poor academic performance
  • Low commitment to school
Peer-Individual
  • Favorable attitudes toward antisocial behavior
  • Peer rewards for antisocial behavior
Community
  • Low neighborhood attachment
  • Perceived availability of handguns
  • Laws and norms favorable to drug use
/ Family
  • Family attachment
  • Family opportunities for prosocial involvement
  • Family rewards for prosocial involvement
School
  • School opportunities for prosocial involvement
  • School rewards for prosocial involvement
Peer-Individual
  • Belief in the moral order
  • Engagement in prosocial activities
Community
  • Community opportunities for prosocial engagement

  • The criteria below describe the target population to be served.

1)Youth ages 12-17 years, with a caregiver willing to participate in treatment.

2)Youth is at risk for out-of-home placement or is transitioning home from an out-of-home setting

3)Youth presenting with significant externalizing behaviors. Youth may be a chronic or violent juvenile offender. While youth may have other mild to moderate co-morbid psychiatric disorder(s), those whose acting out is driven by serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia or a manic episode) are generally not appropriate for the service.

4)Youth with ongoing multiple system involvement due to high risk behaviors and/or risk of failure in mainstream school settings due to behavioral problems

5)The main concern is not sexual offending or substance use in the absence of other acting out behavior. The youth does not present with acute suicidal, homicidal, or psychotic symptoms, or have an autism spectrum disorder.

  • For youth who meet the criteria listed above, stakeholders’ desired outcomes include the following outcomes associated with MST:

Short-Term Outcomes
(upon treatment completion) / Long-Term Outcomes
(1 to 20 years post-MST)
  • Reduced out-of-home placements
  • Improved school attendance and performance
  • Improved peer relations; decreased association with negative peers
  • Improved family functioning
  • Reduction in youth behavior problems
  • Reduction in youth substance use
/
  • Reduction in criminal recidivism, arrest, and incarceration up to 20 years post-MST
  • Fewer days in out-of-home placement, 6 to 12 months post-discharge
  • Decreased behavior problems
  • Decreased substance use

  • A representative from MST Services or a licensed Network Partner has provided stakeholders with initial information about the model, and nothing has been identified to suggest that the model is not a good fit for the community. (Stage A of the Program Development MethodTM, Initial Information Collection)
  • The following resources provide more information about MST and are available at .
  • MST Implementation Manual
  • MST Logic Model
  • Risks & Needs Addressed By MST
  • MST and D&A: Questions and Answers
  • MST in Pennsylvania: Three Years of Data, Fiscal Years 2012-2014
  • Return on Investment for 3 Years of MST

The MST Services website, , is also a valuable resource with a wealth of information about the model and its outcomes.

  • Become A Provider
  • Data indicate that there are at least135 youth per year in our communitywho would be appropriate for MSTper the criteria listed above. If other programs are currently serving the MST target population, county stakeholders are committed to ensuring youth are referred to MST. (Aligns with Stage B of the Program Development MethodTM, Program Feasibility Assessment.)

Additional Resources: Target Population WorksheetReferral Projection Worksheet, both available from MST Services

# of Referrals Expected Per Year / Source of Data Indicating Need
Juvenile Probation
Children & Youth
Schools
Mental Health
  • The team has evaluated how the implementation of MST will fit into the community’s service continuum and may impact existing services. (Also aligns with Stage B of the Program DevelopmentMethodTM, Program Feasibility Assessment.)
  • Do services already exist in the community to meet the needs of the target population? If so, what is the rationale for adding MST to the service array?
  • If there are existing services for the target population, is there enough unmet need to warrant an MST program? Or, is there a clear plan and incentive to divert youth from existing services into MST?
  • Youth receiving MST should not also be involved in other services, such as day treatment or group drug and alcohol counseling. How will this affect referralsto MST? How will this impact existing services and practices?
  • Key stakeholders believe the model would benefit the populations with which they work and are invested in supporting MST implementation in the community. This may include advancing local policies or practices that support the utilization of MST.

List key stakeholders who support the implementation of MST:

Office / Name
Juvenile Probation
Juvenile Court
Children & Youth
MH/ID
BH-MCO
School District(s)

If any of the entities listed above are not in full support of MST, efforts should be made to engage them before proceeding. If efforts are not successful, the impact of lack of support / involvement on implementation should be carefully considered and planned for as it may impact the quality of implementation and long-term sustainability of the program.

  • The BH-MCO agrees to add MST to the county’s array of MA-funded services. Add date when BH-MCO funding will when available to Important Dates & Document checklist (see Community Planning Tool).
  • County stakeholders commit to providing sufficient county funding for the service, via the county needs based budget (Special Grant funds or Human Services Block Grant). Add date when county funding will be available to Important Dates & Document checklist (see Community Planning Tool).
  • The team of stakeholders is committed to meeting periodically with the provider throughout the first 3 years of implementation to assess implementation and collaboratively address any challenges to implementation quality or program sustainability.

If MST is a good fit for community needs/priorities andkey stakeholders are committed to supporting MST,begin implementation planning with the Community Planning Tool.

If these two criteria are not met, MST implementation is not currently indicated.

1For more information, visit or call (814) 863-2568