Synopses & Reviews
Review
"The teachings of this book are useful to a wide range of practitioners and community leaders interested in enhancing the quality of life of people across settings....Readers learn how to support youth, families, and communities to achieve increased levels of safety and academic success, as well as decreased levels of substance abuse and dependence, using a systemic and ecological approach....A valuable resource book that speaks to multiple audiences by incorporating a wide range of voices and experiences."--
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy "...an important resource....this is a vital tool for anyone looking to practice MST within a troubled community."--
the Behavior Therapist"The authors have presented a complex body of work in an easy-to-read text that can be used by both researchers and practitioners who want to address problems such as substance use and community violence among adolescents within neighborhoods....The text is a valuable tool because it provides both process and evidence-supported outcomes for effective implementation of similar projects....Neighborhood partnerships across the country can be strengthened through the use of the implementation strategies outlined."--APA PsycCRITIQUES "The volume provides a step-by-step guide to the implementation of MST at a community neighbourhood level. Contributions from academics, practitioners, community leaders and serving local police officers emphasize the importance of the community coming together to reduce youth offending. Those looking for a detailed and authoritative explanation and evaluation of MST are likely to find this book invaluable."--Journal of Sexual Aggression
Review
"This book contains unusually informative, insightful, and practical information on developing and implementing effective juvenile delinquency programs in very troubled neighborhoods. Remarkably, it will appeal to practitioners, students, and researchers alike--a very rare quality. This is the most user-friendly book of its type I have seen. The format is excellent for optimizing learning. I particularly appreciated the concise introduction and concluding review of critical points in each chapter. In the classroom, this book would make a very appealing, appropriate supplemental text for courses in community psychology, social work, and juvenile justice."--James C. Howell, PhD, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina
"Swenson and her colleagues have taken evidence-based interventions to a new level of sophistication and applied them in a culturally sensitive and empathetic way in a community setting. Detailed and practical, this book will be useful to students and professionals alike who are committed to providing quality services to underserved clients from diverse communities. The bar for all future intervention texts has just been raised by this important work."--Jon R. Conte, PhD, School of Social Work, University of Washington
"This book is extremely well written, in plain language. It contains a gold mine of descriptions concerning how to approach the challenging task of implementing a prevention intervention in a high-risk neighborhood in a sensitive and thoughtful fashion. I know of no other book that combines the application of a comprehensive, evidence-based intervention for high-risk youth with a thorough description of how to work from the grassroots in order to join effectively with local leaders. I highly recommend this book to any researcher, clinician, or policymaker interested in community-based prevention science."--Ray DeV. Peters, PhD, Better Beginnings, Better Futures Project, Queen's University, Canada
Review
"The authors of this book have provided a good balance of theory and research along with the practical process element of MST. The book is informative, practical, and accessible to a wide audience of practitioners, students, and lay individuals who may be a part of the community in which the MST is undertaken."--British Journal of Forensic Practice
Review
"The teachings of this book are useful to a wide range of practitioners and community leaders interested in enhancing the quality of life of people across settings....Readers learn how to support youth, families, and communities to achieve increased levels of safety and academic success, as well as decreased levels of substance abuse and dependence, using a systemic and ecological approach....A valuable resource book that speaks to multiple audiences by incorporating a wide range of voices and experiences."--Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Review
"The authors have presented a complex body of work in an easy-to-read text that can be used by both researchers and practitioners who want to address problems such as substance use and community violence among adolescents within neighborhoods....The text is a valuable tool because it provides both process and evidence-supported outcomes for effective implementation of similar projects....Neighborhood partnerships across the country can be strengthened through the use of the implementation strategies outlined."--PsycCRITIQUES
Synopsis
Based on the proven technology of Multisystemic Therapy (MST), this unique book provides an exemplary approach to empowering communities to reduce youth violence and substance abuse and promote school success. Effective strategies for working with at-risk youth are embedded in a comprehensive framework that enlists the talents and resources of clinicians, human service professionals, neighborhood residents, community organizations, and outside stakeholders. Using an extended case example to illustrate all aspects of implementing MST on a neighborhood-wide scale, the volume covers empirical and clinical foundations, program planning, and strategies for building collaboration with key community players.
About the Author
Cynthia Cupit Swenson is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Associate Director of the Family Services Research Center. She conducted National Institute of Mental Health-funded research that led to an adaptation of Multisystemic Therapy for child maltreatment, now being implemented in the U.S. and internationally.
Scott W. Henggeler is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC and Director of the Family Services Research Center. His career has focused on the development, validation, and dissemination of effective mental health and substance abuse services for youth presenting serious clinical problems and their families. He has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health and other funding sources, and has published more than 250 journal articles, book chapters, and books.
Ida S. Taylor is Director of Gethsemani Community Center in North Charleston, South Carolina. A leader in the Union Heights community for over 20 years, Mrs. Taylor is involved in multiple community and village service projects in North Charleston and Ghana. In 2006, she was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree by the Medical University of South Carolina.
Oliver W. Addison has been a leader in Union Heights for over 40 years and served on the neighborhood council for over 20 years. An advocate for children, he served on the Charleston County School Board for 8 years and served two different terms as the Boards chair. In 2006, he was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree by the Medical University of South Carolina.
Table of Contents
Neighborhood Solutions for Neighborhood Problems: The Introduction
Neighborhood Solutions Timeline
I. The Empirical and Clinical Background for the Neighborhood Solutions Project
1. The Causes and Consequences of Youth Violence, Substance Abuse, and Community Violence
2. Evidence-Based Treatments: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why
3. Multisystemic Therapy: The Model
II. Implementing Prevention and Intervention Programs in Collaboration with Neighborhood Residents
4. Implementing a Neighborhood-Based Project
5. The MST Approach for Reducing Youth Antisocial Behavior
6. The MST Approach for Treating Adolescent Substance Abuse and Dependence
7. The MST Approach for Reducing School Problems and School Expulsion
8. Neighborhood-Designed Prevention Activities for Promoting Health and Wellness
9. Neighborhood-Based Health Services, with Carolyn Holbrook Jenkins
10. Neighborhood-Based Law Enforcement, with David Laurie, Donald Ward, and Harry M. Roper
III. Attaining and Sustaining Neighborhood-Based Programs
11. Funding Clinical Services and Neighborhood-Based Programs, with Marshall E. Swenson and Toby Smith
12. Summary and Conclusions