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What's New

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Updated June 24, 2009

  • After a successful launch for the spring cycle MHA is beginning to plan for Fall 2009 cycle of Strengthening Families Program. The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a family skills training program designed to help families with children between 12 and 16 years of age to improve family life and communication and reduce the impact of negative influences on youth. SFP focuses on helping youth identify their goals and dreams and ways to achieve them, while also learning to resist negative peer influences. Youth are taught better stress management, communication, and social skills. Parents are taught to encourage and support their children’s dreams, while also strengthening their ability to establish appropriate limits and provide effective discipline, and improve their own communication.

    For further information about referring participants or hearing about volunteer opportunities please contact Kelly Darrow or click here

  • Live Your Life Well highlights 10 specific tools we can all use to build our ability to cope with the stress of our daily lives. These tools are based on research that teaches how to develop resilience, protect our health, and improve well-being. Explore the web site of Live Your Life Well.

  • Concerns about flu can cause both children and adults to worry. The National Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Nurses offer tips for Talking with Children About Flu.

  • In collaboration with the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester, MHA is excited to begin the Spring 2009 cycle of Strengthening Families Program.  The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a family skills training program designed to help families with children between 12 and 16 years of age to improve family life and communication and reduce the impact of negative influences on youth.  SFP focuses on helping youth identify their goals and dreams and ways to achieve them, while also learning to resist negative peer influences.  Youth are taught better stress management, communication, and social skills.  Parents are taught to encourage and support their children’s dreams, while also strengthening their ability to establish appropriate limits and provide effective discipline, and improve their own communication. 

     

    For further information please contact Kelly Darrow or click here

  • MHA has adopted an innovative approach to care coordination.  Read about it in this article (.pdf) which appears in the current issue of Mental Health News.

  • Playing With Our Children.  Playtime is essential for young children’s development, exploration of the world, even to work through scary experiences.  The Action Guide:  Toys, Play and Young Children offers excellent tips about choosing toys, playing with children, and even helping children work through scary or confusing events. Read more (.pdf).


  • Raising children is rewarding, yet often difficult and frustrating.  Parents tend to rely on discipline that they experienced as children.  However, those methods may not be the best for our children.  Years of study now confirm that physical punishment makes it more, not less, likely that children will be defiant and aggressive in the future, that it puts children at risk for many types of negative outcomes, including increased mental health problems, and that it places children at greater risk of serious injury and physical abuse.  There is little research that shows that physical punishment improves children's behavior in the long term. Read more here Read MHA’s tips for Positive Parenting and local activities with children.

  • Employment opportunities at MHA: MHA continues to initiate new programs and expand existing ones. Descriptions of our current job openings are updated on an ongoing basis. Check frequently for information about job opportunities for yourself or someone you know.

Explore our Community Events Calendar. Do you have an event to list? Contact Kevin Kennedy at kennedyk@mhawestchester.org with your information. The listing is FREE!

For information about films in Our Film Library, go to our Films Database.

We Can Help

Contact us by e-mail at help@mhawestchester.org or call our Information and Referral Service at 914-345-5900, extension 240. We're available there Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; our voice mail is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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