Program Description

Comprehensive Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Initiative, Onondaga County, New York

Overview

Onondaga County, New York, employs a comprehensive and holistic approach to linking youth involved with the juvenile justice system to evidence-based services. The county probation department contracts with a private MST provider, Liberty Resources. Inc., to provide MST services to youth at four stages of juvenile justice system involvement: probation intake, detention, family court, and as a re-entry strategy for youth returning to the county from juvenile correctional placement.

At intake, a probation officer meets with a youth and their family. If the probation officer determines that the youth is at risk for out of home placement, they can divert the youth directly to the MST provider. Both status offenders and delinquents can be diverted. If the family agrees to participate in the program, they sign a release and MST services are provided for an average of 120 days. If the youth successfully completes the MST program, probation can close the case with no formal intervention from the court.

For youth who are placed in non-secure detention, screening is done by detention staff to identify youth who may be appropriate for diversion to MST. Once a youth is identified, they are diverted out of detention and referred to the MST program, with Family Court approval. MST provides a treatment summary to the court. If the youth and their family agree to participate in the program, services are initiated. If a youth successfully completes the terms of the program, the case can be closed with no further juvenile justice system involvement. In some instances, after detention, a child remains on, or is placed on, probation. In others, the case is diverted from probation, the youth is given an ACD, and further juvenile justice system involvement is prevented. The program is always seeking to prevent “the next step” in the justice system, but depending on where the child is in the system, this can mean different things.
 
Youth who are referred to court for a dispositional hearing or for a probation violation can also be diverted from out of home placement into an MST program. The Onondaga County Probation Review Board, comprising supervising probation officers, private providers, and mental health staff, meets twice a week to review cases where out of home placement is imminent. This Board makes recommendations to the judge about dispositional alternatives for youth. This Board can recommend that a youth be referred to MST in lieu of placement. Frequently, the judge agrees with the recommendations of the Board and can place the youth on probation and, as a condition, require that the youth participate in MST.

Finally, New York State OCFS contracts with Liberty Resources, Inc., to provide MST as a re-entry strategy for youth who are returning to the community after having been placed in one of the state’s juvenile residential facilities. The MST provider receives the names of youth who are returning to the community two weeks in advance of their release, and immediately engages in outreach with the youth’s family to prepare for the youth’s return home and the beginning of MST treatment. Youth participate in the MST program as part of a comprehensive aftercare strategy to provide the youth and family with services and supports necessary to maintain the youth in the community.

Reference
Multisystemic Therapy Onondaga. Liberty Resources Inc. Retrieved from http://www.liberty-resources.org/programs/showProgram.cfm?program=7

Program Contact

Anne Dailey, LCSW-R, ACSW
MST System Supervisor
Liberty Resources, Inc.
1065 James Street
Syracuse, NY 13203
Phone: 315-424-0577, ext. 217

Mary C. Winter
Commissioner
Onondaga County Probation
421 Montgomery Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
Phone: 315-435-5414