News

April 2011

CSI therapist receives 'Whatever It Takes' performance award and featured in MST In the Loop newsletter

The following is an interview with Nannette La Fosse, an MST family therapist with the CSI Johnston, Rhode Island team. La Fosse was recently awarded the 'Whatever It Takes' award for her outstanding performance as an MST therapist. She was featured in the Winter 2011 issue of MST's In the Loop quarterly newsletter.

When did you join the MST family?
On March 10, 2008

Describe your "most proud" MST-moment thus far.
My most proud moment happened about a year ago. I had to conduct very intensive interventions for a special family and work patiently with the caseworker and her supervisor. Every step was a challenge. The youth was placed in the Department of Children, Youth and their Families (DCYF) at the time for former wayward behavior. My first challenge was to have the youth return to the motherÕs home. Even though she was improving her behavior in placement, the caseworker refused to discharge her. The youth was sixteen years old and already had two children. DCYF removed both children after the youth called the fire department for an electric safety concern, denied their custody to any family member, and instead placed them in two different foster homes. The caseworker and her supervisor held an unusually negative attitude toward the youth and were producing unnecessary roadblocks. Each time that I held a session with the family, I left horrified after hearing the latest stories. My goals for the youth were for her to gain parental skills, submit to her motherÕs rules at home, return to school and stabilize her behavior. For the grandmother, my goal was for her to implement discipline without crossing boundaries and understand that the youth had kids that she needed to take care of (upon their return) and needed some space to grow as a mother.

I prepared a very detailed treatment plan to show the caseworker and her supervisor how I was going to meet the goals. After a time of intensive work and many meetings, the worker started to concede on some things. She recognized that the family was indeed complying with all of her requests and she would have to accept the reunification goal. The youth proved that her maternal desires were big enough to do a complete life-turnaround for the welfare of her children. She followed every DCYF requirement and worked with me to improve her behavior and return to school.

I was consistent in going above and beyond in providing support to this family while they worked to comply with the stringent requirements. There could have been nothing more rewarding than being present when the two children were reunited. I was able to witness them return home to stay and never leave again.

What inspired you to become involved with MST?
I was working with Functional Family Therapy (FFT) in Florida when I first heard about MST. I began to gain interest and curiosity about the model. When I moved to Rhode Island, there was a plan to start a MST team and I ended up becoming the first therapist hired for the team and the only one providing the service in Spanish in the state. What I appreciate about the MST model is how it integrates other systems in addition to the family (school, church, neighborhood, etc.), and makes them part of the therapeutic process. I have always considered that all of these systems should be a part of the ecology of treatment.

What is one "fun fact" that you can share about yourself (hobby, dream, interest, etc.) with us that most would not know?
I'm an ordained minister and will complete my doctoral degree in theology this June.