New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department: Multisystemic Therapy Expansion Project

The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) seeks to identify locations to launch at least four and up to five Multisystemic Therapy teams associated with New Mexico’s Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Expansion Program. Responses from the current solicitation will be used to document community’s interest and assess initial feasibility. CYFD will follow-up with interested sites in May 2020 to do a more thorough feasibility assessment and make final site assessments. The aim for four to five MST teams to launch between December 2020 and April 2021.

MST is an evidence-based and intensive home, family and community based treatment for youth with serious antisocial behavior. MST enrolls youth between the ages of 12-17 who meet the criteria of having an imminent risk of out-of-home placement; physical and/or verbal aggression at home, school or in the community; delinquency; antisocial behaviors, and/or substance abuse.

The overarching goal of MST is to keep youth ages 12 to 17 who have exhibited serious behavior problems in their home, in school, and not arrested. This is achieved, in part, through increasing caregivers’ skills to handle current and future problems, increasing the instrumental and affective relationships in the home, increasing the families’ use of social supports, and engaging children in pro-social activities. Through an intensive, yet relatively short-term (3-5 month) home-based approach, MST therapists aim to uncover and assess the functional origins of adolescent behavioral and/or substance use problems and develop personalized treatment goals in collaboration with the family. MST works to alter the youth’s ecology in a pragmatic manner that promotes pro-social conduct while decreasing problem and delinquent behavior. Systems and social ecological theories, along with behavioral and cognitive behavioral theories, form the foundation of MST.

Agencies new to delivering MST will go through a process to become a licensed MST provider. MST teams consist of 2-4 therapists plus a supervisor. Each therapist works intensively with 4-6 families at a time. MST teams receive ongoing coaching and support to deliver the intervention with fidelity. The University of Denver’s Center for Effective Interventions (CEI) is the regional Network Partner that licenses MST teams and works collaboratively with CYFD BHS and local agencies to ensure high quality and sustainable implementation of the MST model.

Amount: If selected, sites agree to enter into an agreement with New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) Behavioral Health Services (BHS to receive funding.

Eligibility: Applicants can include Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), FQHCs, Heath Homes, CSA’s, Provider agencies, non-profit organizations and/or other providers capable of billing Medicaid, adhering to EBP, and/or delivering home-based services. (Note, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, MST treatment services can be delivered via telehealth as indicated by the NM Human Services Department (HSD) and in accordance with the NM Governor’s Public Health Orders).

Link: https://cyfd.org/for-providers/rfp

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