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


Book Description
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. The result is a hopeful and practical blueprint for making a neighborhood safer and healthier for all residents and creating new opportunities for young people and their families.


About the Author
Cynthia Cupit Swenson is Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Family Services Research Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). She is Principal Investigator on a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded study evaluating multisystemic therapy with physically abused adolescents and their families.

Scott W. Henggeler is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC and Director of the Family Services Research Center. He is the recipient of grants from NIMH, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and others.

Ida S. Taylor is currently 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 service projects throughout North Charleston. She has received numerous community service awards for her work with youth and community development.

Oliver W. Addison has been a leader in Union Heights for 38 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 was the board's chair for 1995/n-/1996 and 2001/n-/2002. He has received numerous community service awards for his work with youth and community development.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Based on the proven methods of multisystemic therapy (MST), this unique book presents an exemplary approach to community-based intervention for at-risk youth. It provides a hopeful and empowering blueprint for making a neighborhood safer and healthier for young people and their families, and for promoting the social and emotional well-being of the community as a whole." Highly practical and evidence based, this user-friendly guide provides essential knowledge for clinical psychologists, social workers, family therapists, community organizers, and other professionals working with at-risk children and adolescents, as well as for prevention specialists and clinical researchers. An informative resource for students, it is an ideal supplemental text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses.

SYNOPSIS