Multicultural Family Institute

Introduction

The Multicultural Family Institute (MFI or the Institute) developed from a family systems training program that began in 1972 at the Community Mental Health Center of Rutgers Medical School (CMHC) in Piscataway, New Jersey, spearheaded by Monica McGoldrick. In 1991, due to changes in the landscape of mental health, the program moved to Metuchen and was incorporated as a private nonprofit educational institution, called the Family Institute of New Jersey. In 2000, the Institute changed its name to The Multicultural Family Institute to better reflect its mission and moved to its present location in Highland Park, New Jersey. The founders, all of whom had worked together at Rutgers Mental Health Center, were Monica McGoldrick, Nydia Garcia Preto, Meyer Rothberg, Paulette Moore Hines, and CharlesEtta Sutton.

In the earliest years of the Family Therapy Training Program at the CMHC, we were inspired by many of the first-generation family therapists, in particular, Virginia Satir...