There are some similarities between the two clinical models. Both models:

• Are strength-based.
• Strive to empower family members.
• Engage caregivers, who are viewed as essential participants in the youth’s treatment. View improved family functioning as the path to resolving referral behaviors.
• Meet with families in their homes, at times convenient to the family. Adjust the frequency of sessions to meet the clinical needs of the family.
• Tailor treatment to the family’s unique situation.
• Include the development of parenting skills and enhancement of family relationships when clinically indicated, and often include “homework assignments” between sessions.
• Help families build natural supports.
• Require that therapists receive group supervision on a weekly basis and spend a considerable amount of time between sessions planning interventions. Both models include some form of ongoing consultation from model experts to ensure ongoing model fidelity.
• In MST, this consultation occurs via weekly phone consultation from an MST model Expert.