Evidence-Based Practice Model for Youth with Externalizing Disorders

Gaps of knowledge exist of effective, culturally competent, community-based services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance. There is great disparity between the evidence-base of effective community-based treatments for youth with mental health disorders and the treatments that are available to them. Untreated or inadequately treated youth are likely to end up in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, particularly those with externalizing disorders. Not providing appropriate mental health services to youth can have profound consequences as untreated or under-treated mental health problems disrupt children’s development, sometimes permanently. The purpose of this book is to evaluate the use of Multisystemic Therapy with seriously emotionally disturbed youth in a community mental health setting.