Workshops

European MST Conference Workshops:

 

Therapists Track:

Effectively Addressing Challenges to Building Strong Social Supports

Anne Cathrine Strütt/Brenda Szumski

Research shows social capital provides significant protection against the ups and downs of life; therefore, building strong social supports is essential in fostering long-term sustainability post-MST.  Teams often encounter challenges in engaging caregivers to address this significant area of need.  This workshop is for supervisors and therapists and will focus on identifying and overcoming some of those challenges at each level (family, therapist, and supervisor) drilling down to specific strategies that MST teams can use to effectively build strong social supports systems.

 

Empowering Caregivers to Be Active Agents of Change with Their Youth:

Overcoming Cognitive and Systemic Barriers

 Paul Jacobse/Jo Leunissen/Sandy Crotts/Marisa Licata

Struggling to help caregivers feel that they can be active agents of change for their MST youth? This workshop might be a great fit for you! This workshop will provide teams with assessment and intervention ideas for a common, but difficult problem for our families and teams—losing hope that they can be change agents for our youths. We will focus on supporting therapists in this area by tackling therapist drivers on the fit. We will strive to overcome barriers to MST intervention implementation when empowering caregivers to become active agents of change presents as a primary challenge. Therapists will have the opportunity to learn from one another and share ideas about effective strategies, while practicing and refining skills through experiential exercises. 

 

Increasing Clinical Skills Needed in MST

Therese Sandvik/Grethe Elin Larsen

This workshop will provide an opportunity for therapists and supervisors to learn about the core therapy skills needed to do MST.  The workshop will focus on clinical skills needed to develop and maintain engagement and difficulties balancing engagement and directive approaches in MST.  In addition, participants will engage in activities to increase their ability to recognize these skills in practice and to assess their own strengths/needs in using specific skills (e.g., empathy, reflective listening, positive reframing, open-ended questions, etc.). Participants will engage in experiential exercises designed to help therapists increase knowledge and skills to address areas of identified need.

 

Supervisor’s Track:

Addressing Top Clinical Concerns in Supervision:

Using sequences to Improve Delivery

Bjørnar Bråthen/Erlend Eidsaa

This session will offer supervisors the opportunity to improve their ability to address their top clinical concerns during supervision.  Supervisors will share ideas and practice in-the-moment strategies to improve planning and delivery of feedback. This workshop will focus on a specific content area which can be addressed in a manner tailored to each participant's needs, so supervisors at all levels of experience are welcome. Work samples and some brief advance preparation will be requested.

 

How to Stop it Happening and Again and Again-

Helping Therapists Effectively Address Aggression and Risk of Harm

 Zoë Ashmore/Anne Edmondson

Violence is a common referral behaviour for young people in MST.   When there is an acute risk of harm the team engages quickly in highly detailed assessment and planning, following the “Do Loop.”  This workshop aims to help supervisors take work samples drawn from multiple sources to assess and build therapists' skills in this area. Experiential exercises will be used to increase learning opportunities, share strategies with other participants and enable supervisors to apply the workshop to their own developmental needs. There will also be an opportunity to look at how supervisors can increase collaboration and maintain alignment with stakeholders to reduce barriers in implementing interventions to reduce aggression and risk of harm.

 

 

Programme Managers & Supervisors:

 

How to Share Success Stories and Market MST

Laura Shortt/Lisa Reiter

This workshop session will focus on sharing past efforts and approaches to market MST.  The objective of these efforts has been to increase the impact of the MST model by sustaining existing programs and encouraging the adoption of new programmes. 

 

Participants will develop and share strategies for creating powerful presentations that are sure to engage any audience. This workshop will include guidance to support programs (at all levels) in using PIRS, stories/testimonials and hard data to educate and engage community stakeholders in the positive outcomes of MST. 

 

 

Programme Managers & Policy Makers:

 

Adaptations: Lessons learned on how to effectively implement

MST adaptations in European contexts

Joanne Penman/Naamith Heiblum

This workshop will first provide a brief overview of the components unique to each of the three MST adaptations that are currently being implemented across Europe: MST–PSB (Problem Sexual Behavior), MST-SA (Substance Abuse), and MST-CAN (Child Abuse and Neglect).  A panel of treatment providers from several MST adaptation teams will then discuss the primary considerations and adjustments that have been developed to successfully implement these adaptations within a European context.  Case examples will be provided and questions answered.

 

Ensuring a Strong Framework for Implementation

Tom Jefford/Cathy James/Lori Moore

The process of setting up and implementing MST, and other Evidenced-based practices, involves significant administrative challenges, including securing funding, managing stakeholder relationships, recruiting and retaining suitable staff, managing a steady stream of referrals, and proactively monitoring  and achieving model adherence.   Participants will share successful strategies used to achieve these aims, as well as, identify and problem-solve areas of concerns.  By the end of the workshop, participants will develop a strategic plan to improve the organisational environment to promote positive outcomes for the young people and families served. 

 

 

Researchers track:

 

Researchers Symposium

Dr. Peter Fonagy

Afternoon breakout session is planned to provide an opportunity for researchers to present and hear about the latest findings in MST.  Participants will enjoy a lively and stimulating afternoon of discussion whilst offering fellow researchers an opportunity to meet and find out more about each other’s work.

 

 

Business Support Officers track:

 

“BSO – Make the MST Team Go Round”

Natalie Wilmot/Ben Robins/Lori Moore

The Business Support Officer is often the “back-bone” of the MST Programme, working to ensure on a daily basis that everything gets done in a timely, efficient manner.  Without you, who would run all those reports, or collect those TAM-Rs?  Business Support Officers are invited to join us for this workshop to share and receive helpful tips to make your job easier, and maybe even a little more fun!