Enablers and barriers to the implementation of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) into the routine delivery of child protection services in New South Wales, Australia

George Economidis; Sara Farnbach; Anne-Marie Eades; Kathleen Falster; Anthony Shakeshaft

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107297

Enablers and barriers to the implementation of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) into the routine delivery of child protection services in New South Wales, Australia

George Economidis, Sara Farnbach, Anne-Marie Eades, Kathleen Falster Anthony Shakeshaft

Children and Youth Services Review, Vol.155, pp.1-12

2023

: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107297

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107297

Published Version

Child abuse

Child protection

Enabler and barrier

Family therapy

Background: Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) aims to reduce the likelihood of child maltreatment and out-of-home care (OOHC) entry for high-risk children aged between six and 17 years. To identify the key enablers and barriers to implementing MST-CAN into the routine delivery of child protection services. Participants/setting: Twenty MST-CAN and policy experts, and 25 service providers, involved in the delivery of MST-CAN in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with MST-CAN and policy experts were thematically analyzed to identify enablers and barriers to the uptake of MST-CAN. These themes were quantified using a modified Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) scoring approach: −2 for barriers, 0 for neutral, and 2 for enablers. The nominal group technique (NGT) identified and ranked the enablers and barriers to MST-CAN delivery perceived by service providers in two discussion groups. Results: The semi-structured interviews generated 15 themes, of which two enablers and four barriers were identified using CFIR scoring. The two NGTs identified six enablers and six barriers. Key enablers common to both interviews and NGTs were the training and supervision of therapists delivering MST-CAN in NSW, and MST-CAN’s analytic approach. Key barriers included referral and adaptation challenges for the NSW context and population (including Aboriginal families), staff recruitment difficulties, and problems with the absence and interpretation of outcome data. Conclusions: Barriers to sustained implementation of MST-CAN may be overcome by revising staff qualification thresholds and data collection procedures, and improved adaptation of MST-CAN in partnership with Aboriginal organizations.

: Enablers and barriers to the implementation of Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) into the routine delivery of child protection services in New South Wales, Australia
: George Economidis (Corresponding Author) - UNSW Sydney
Sara Farnbach (Author) - UNSW Sydney
Anne-Marie Eades (Author) - Curtin University
Kathleen Falster (Author) - UNSW Sydney
Anthony Shakeshaft (Author) - UNSW Sydney
: Children and Youth Services Review, Vol.155, pp.1-12
: Elsevier Ltd
: 2023
: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107297
: 1873-7765
: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
: Data will be made available on request.
: The evaluation of the MST-CAN program in New South Wales, Australia (2018–2020) was funded via a competitive tender process (FACS.17.266) by the NSW Government Department of Family and Community Services (now Department of Communities and Justice).
: School of Health - Psychology
: English
: 991242152302621
: Journal article