Practitioner experiences of working with racially marginalised families in England using Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

Racially marginalised young people are over-represented in the criminal justice system but less likely to be referred to, access and engage with support services. Families who experience greater cultural mistrust and disadvantage are likely those who do not complete Multisystemic Therapy (MST). This study explored the experiences of MST practitioners in England to better understand racially marginalised family engagement and change using MST. Seven focus groups (n = 22) informed a constructivist grounded theory. Ten theoretical codes were used to build a model of MST engagement and change for racially marginalised families: access to MST; the family's relationship to help; building a therapeutic alliance; family structure and functioning; acculturation and identity; the disempowered family context; working as a cultural broker; empowering families; power and language within the family; and working with interpreters. Findings build on previous research with racially marginalised young people and caregivers and highlight systemic barriers associated with power, culture and language.