Our History
The History of CAECMH
The Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health (CAECMH) at Montclair State University opened in September 2011 under the leadership of our founding Director, Dr. Gerard Costa, as a thought-leading center focused on professional formation and development, academic education and research, and clinical and family support services around the issues of infant and early childhood mental health and developmental differences and disabilities.
Central to the philosophy of the CAECMH is the belief of the role of social-emotional/mental health development at the core of developmental and educational progress. The CAECMH is anchored in a developmental approach to meet the needs of infants, children and their families, and is supported by theoretical education, research-based methods and clinical application. Serving Montclair State University and neighboring communities as a resource on the issues of autism, infant and childhood development and mental health, the Center’s programs include professional development and consultation, a post-graduate certificate program and continuing education, clinical services, and research.
The Center operates under the auspices of the College for Education and Engaged Learning, and its academic programs will be located in the department of Early Childhood, Elementary and Literacy Education.
Our Achievements & Growth
Since our founding, the CAECMH has:
- earned over $40 Million in revenue from grants, contracts, fees, tuition, and gifts,
- established the first community outpatient mental health clinic at Montclair State University, serving expectant families, and families of infants and young children
- certified as a training site for the Brazelton Touchpoints Approach, Newborn Behavioral Observation, Lamaze International, DC: 0-5, and a licensed Self-reg Center
- served as the operational home of the New Jersey Pyramid Model State Leadership Team
- created the original curriculum, Keeping Babies and Children in Mind: Professional Formation Series in Early Relational Health that has raised the floor of knowledge in infant and early childhood mental health and early relational health in New Jersey for over 10 years
- implemented the state’s first infant and early childhood mental health consultation program
- designed the state’s first preschool inclusive education systemic change protocol
- served as the first NJ Department of Health as the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence Coordinating Center, through which we supported 25 clinical research projects and five autism medical homes