MST Outcomes
MST Results
CV has a long history of experience working with the MST model and has consistently met or exceeded the national and international averages in all our programs. Outcomes for all our MST programs over the past year are shown below:
The results of rigorous scientific studies funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health and National Institute on Drug Abuse show that MST is a clinically effective and cost-effective approach to the treatment of youth with complex clinical problems and their multi-need families. In two randomized clinical trials involving chronic, violent juvenile offenders, MST significantly decreased problem behaviors in youth and psychiatric symptoms in parents, improved family functioning, significantly deceased incarceration and psychiatric hospitalization by 50-80%, and decreased criminal activity and re-arrest by 26-70%. Importantly, treatment gains were maintained over time (2.4 – 4 years following treatment), and continued reductions in criminal activity were associated with significant cost savings relative to youth who received usual services or individual treatment.
Because of these proven outcomes, MST has been selected as an effective program by SAMSHA, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Surgeon General, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Promising Practices Network at the Rand Corporation, and others. The National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference named MST one of only two programs to reduce youth violence and arrests. There are no other models available with this kind of evidence of ability to effect positive outcomes.
The MST model is also incredibly efficient. MST clinicians made 18,000 home visits in the last year and 120,000 home visits in the last 12 years. For more MST outcomes click here to go to the Achievements and Outcomes page.
Monetary Benefits
MST has been demonstrated as a cost-effective juvenile justice model in numerous studies. For example, the July 2011 Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) Return on Investment: Evidence-Based Options to Improve Statewide Outcomes report indicated a monetary benefit of $29,302 ($6,521 taxpayer and $22,782 non-taxpayer in 2010 dollars) minus the average cost of treatment of $7,206, for a total cost savings of $22,096.
In their risk analysis of the estimated bottom line, WSIPP found that the MST treatment model has a 91% chance of producing benefits that exceed costs, thus indicating that it is an attractive evidence-based program that reduces crime and achieves a favorable return on investment, with a small chance of an undesirable outcome. Refer to the WSIPP website for further information.
The annual cost for one of CV’s MST teams is approximately $400,000, which includes four therapists, a supervisor, licensing, training, travel, and supplies. With 50 cases a year being treated at $8,000 per case, $6.4 million is saved annually.