MST (Multisystemic Therapy) Therapist (FIT)
£42,403 - £44,428
Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an intensive family and community-based intervention for children and young people aged 11-17, where young people are at risk of out of home placement in either care or custody due to their offending or having severe behaviour problems. The aim of MST is to break the cycle of anti-social behaviours by keeping young people safely at home, in school, and out of trouble.
Kirklees currently has 2 MST teams, the first MST team was established in 2019 and the second team (MST-E) was launched in April 2020 where there are young people aged 10-14 involved in or at risk of violence, gang involvement and criminal exploitation.
MST-FIT (Family-Integrated Treatment) uses standard MST principles with additional components to address the specific issues and contexts of young people returning home from a care environment. The MST FIT programme combines a number of evidence-based interventions with the goal of targeting multiple determinants of antisocial behaviour, substance abuse and mental health issues in young people. The overarching framework of the intervention is derived from Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and this is combined with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to target young people’s individual mental health needs and support those caring for them more effectively.
The model works for 3 to 4 months with young people aged 12-17 years and their carers while they are placed away from home, thus improving skill level of the current residential or foster carers and also with the young person’s family to identify the issues which may present difficulties in order to plan a successful return home. Once the young person has returned home, work continues with the family for a further four months and with other key agencies, such as social care and schools and also to support the family members to develop community-based supports and reduce their longer-term reliance on statutory services.
As an MST Therapist*, you will bring your professional discipline/experience to the team and will hold a caseload of complex cases working intensively and flexibly with families. You will deliver the most appropriate MST intervention (e.g. DBT, behavioural therapy, CBT) utilising the MST model and analytical process.
Minimally, you will have a Batchelor’s degree in a relevant subject, and/or preferably professionally qualified in a relevant discipline (e.g. social work, psychology, mental health nursing), and will have significant experience of working behaviourally and/or therapeutically with young people and their families where there is challenging behaviour.
You will be positive, passionate and committed to making a difference to young people and their families and enjoy the challenge this brings. You will demonstrate an interest in evidence-based practice and research and will be keen to develop your knowledge of MST and therapeutic and intervention skills. You will enjoy working autonomously but also value the support and guidance provided by the MST Supervisor and MST Expert to access training, comprehensive CPD, and regular professional supervision and consultation.
To meet the needs of the families we work with and to adhere to the MST service model, you will enjoy working flexibly, full-time, often working unsocial hours, both remotely and in face-to-face in families’ homes, which involves regular lone working. The MST service is contactable 24/7 to ensure the most effective and timely support to families and you will be required to participate in an on-call rota (which is subject to an additional payment as per Kirklees Council policy).
*It is expected at this time that all 3 current vacancies will be for positions in the MST-FIT team, however, successful candidates will be appointed to the wider MST service, and will work within MST, MST-E or MST-FIT depending upon service and developmental needs both at the point of recruitment and once established in role.
Travel is an essential part of this job and therefore it would be extremely difficult for you to do your job effectively if you did not use a car for all or most of the time. It is essential that you hold a full and valid driving licence and it is expected that you will either use a council vehicle or your own car (exceptions can be made for disabled applicants).
Kirklees Council honours previous service with the NHS when calculating the following:
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Sickness pay
• Maternity or paternity leave
• Notice period
• Pension (subject to transfer in)
14 February 2021, 11:55 PM
Important Information
This vacancy is closed to applications.