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Working in MST
An MST team consists of:
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A supervisor
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Three or four MST therapists
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An administrator
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A part-time back-up supervisor (to provide cover when the supervisor is on annual leave and to assist with the on-call rota)
MST supervisors should be masters qualified professionals or equivalent with relevant post-qualifying experience in MST, Cogntive Behavioural Therapy, Structural or Strategic Familiy or behavioural therapy.
Examples of suitable professionals:
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Clinical, forensic or counselling psychologists
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family therapists
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senior social workers, probation officers or mental health nurses with relevant clinical experience and educated to masters level
MST therapists can come from a range of backgrounds but should have a relevant professional qualification and experience of work with children and families in a community setting and of some of the approaches outlined above.
Examples of suitable professionals are;
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clinical psychologists
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social workers
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nurses
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probation officers
All staff need to be willing to work flexibly, including being part of an on-call rota and also be committed to working in a structured evidence based programme.
MST clinical training
Once recruited to an MST team, all therapists and supervisors are required to attend a five-day MST orientation training. Supervisors also attend an additional two-day supervisor orientation training. These trainings are offered on a regular basis in various locations across the UK.
Consultation and supervision
Each MST team is assigned an MST consultant. Weekly telephone consultation is conducted by your consultant with the MST team to provide feedback on treatment plans, discuss any barriers to progress and ensure that interventions are consistent with the MST model. This includes feedback on case notes and also reviews of audio recordings. Ongoing booster training is organised by your team’s consultant for the MST team on a quarterly basis and is tailored to the requirements of your team.
Performance Implementation Review reports are prepared by the MST consultant in collaboration with the supervisor on a six monthly basis for senior managers and the relevant steering group. These reports cover the team’s performance and outcomes for families and also address any particular strengths of the team or barriers to progress.