Center for Mental Health Promotion
Mission Statement
The Center for Mental Health Promotion was founded in 1998 with the broad mission of exploring ways of promoting mental health in children and families. Research has shown that contingent, responsive parenting can lead to the most favorable outcomes for children in terms of their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical health.
However, inconsistent or responsiveness that is mostly lacking from parents or caregivers can have a significant impact on children as they mature. Consequently, problems that these experiences can pose can be quite challenging to change later in life.
Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying these experiences, particularly the mental representations that result from these early interactions with caregivers. The Center has sponsored research that leads to improved responsive parenting practices which are described on this site.
The current focus of the Center is on providing a resource where information on the factors that can both enhance responsive parenting as well as derail it is highlighted. Also included are the various programs and approaches that have been developed that can improve the sensitive attunement of parents. Gaining a greater understanding of this is the best means for reducing the potential acquisition of the negative patterns that can develop as our personalities form.
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Board of Directors
Gary R. Cox-Steiner, Ph.D.
President- CMHP
Psychologist
Bayport, N.Y.
Jenny Cox-Steiner, Ph.D.
Vice President/ Treasurer- CMHP
Psychologist
Bayport, New York
Paul Ginnetty, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Director- Institute for Study of Religion in the Community
St. Joseph’s College
Patchogue, New York
Barbara Goldberg, Ph.D.
Psychologist
Richmond, Virginia
Susan Kowalchuk, M.Ed.
Educator
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Lorinda Price, M.D., MPH
Pediatrician
Tampa, Florida
Neal Simon, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania