There are pre-implementation materials to measure organizational or provider readiness for Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) as listed below:

MST Services, the company that disseminates MST and MST-CAN has developed site assessment tools that have been used for the last 25 years with standard MST and for the last 10 years with MST-CAN. The tools include a review of the feasibility of the program, goals, and guidelines for implementation and implementation and program practice requirements that must be met. Furthermore, each site must pass a formal Site Readiness Review conducted on site. These tools are not available to the general public and are only used when a site is moving forward with implementation of an MST-CAN program.

There is formal support available for implementation of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) as listed below:

The ongoing MST-CAN implementation support that is provided after the orientation training, has been developed to replicate the characteristics of training, clinical supervision, consultation, and monitoring provided in the clinical trials of MST and MST-CAN. After start-up, support continues through weekly telephone MST-CAN consultation for each team of MST-CAN clinicians aimed at monitoring treatment fidelity and adherence to the MST-CAN treatment model, and through quarterly on-site booster trainings (1.5 days each). MST-CAN experts teach MST-CAN supervisors to implement the MST supervisory protocol and collaborate with the supervisor to promote the ongoing clinical development of all team members. In addition, therapists audiotape sessions of trauma treatment for children or adults. The supervisor and expert listens to the tape, rates it for convergence on adherence to the session, and offers feedback on next steps.

Ongoing organizational assistance aims to overcome barriers to achieving successful clinical outcomes through services that may include a comprehensive business planning process, promotion of the MST-CAN program within the broader service community, and developing program-level interventions designed to increase referrals, reduce staff attrition, or restructure program funding mechanisms to increase sustainability.

Quality assurance support activities focus on monitoring and enhancing program outcomes through increasing therapist adherence to the MST and MST-CAN treatment model.

There are fidelity measures for Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) as listed below:

Therapist Adherence Measure-Revised (TAM-R): This is an objective, standardized instrument that evaluates a therapist’s adherence to the core MST model as reported by the primary caregiver of the family. The TAM-R has been validated in clinical trials with serious, chronic, juvenile offenders, and is now implemented by all licensed MST programs. The TAM-R is available through MST Services but is used only for MST programs (www.mstservices.com).

The CAN Therapist Adherence Measure-Revised (CAN TAM-R): This measure is the TAM-R plus additional items that measure adherence to the MST-CAN model. The MST-CAN TAM-R takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. It is administered during the second week of treatment and every four weeks thereafter. An independent MST-CAN interviewer contacts the family by phone to complete the measure. Data are entered onto an on-line database managed by the MST Institute, and results are reviewed by the MST-CAN Supervisor and Therapist. The full CAN TAM-R is entered into a database housed at the Medical University of South Carolina. The CAN TAM-R is not available to the general public at this time as it is considered a research instrument.

Supervisor Adherence Measure (SAM): This measure evaluates the MST-CAN Clinical Supervisor’s adherence to the MST model of supervision. This 10– to 15–minute measure is completed by MST-CAN Therapists, who are prompted to complete the SAM every two months and enter their responses directly onto the online database. Results are shared with the MST-CAN Expert, who then shares a summary of the feedback with the MST-CAN Clinical Supervisor during a consultation meeting. The SAM is available through MST Services but is used only for MST programs (www.mstservices.com).

Consultant Adherence Measure (CAM): The MST-CAN Therapists and MST-CAN Supervisors are responsible for completing this questionnaire. Times will be scheduled one month after completion of the first SAM, and every two months thereafter. It is estimated that the time commitment required is 10 to 15 minutes per respondent for each administration. The CAM consists of 23 items that measure consultation behavior in three domains. The CAM is available through MST Services but is used only for MST programs (www.mstservices.com).

There are implementation guides or manuals for Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) as listed below:

MST Services has developed manuals for training supervisors and experts and for teams to follow to prepare weekly treatment plans. The MST Organizational Manual is designed to provide useful information in addressing administrative issues that occur while developing and sustaining a MST program. These tools are not available to the general public.

Research has not been conducted on how to implement Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN).