Kenneth F. Kaufman, Ph.D., Director, was one of the first psychologists in the world  to be trained in the application of behavior modification principles to children and their families. He developed the first token economy programs for children and teenagers in schools and psychiatric hospitals on Long Island. He began nationally recognized training programs for parents of children with ADHD, ODD, and PDD in 1971. He has published many research studies about his work and trained professionals across the United States and Canada.

Dr. Kaufman received his Doctorate in 1971 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He began independent practice as a Clinical Psychologist in 1972. After serving as Psychologist and Treatment Director at Sagamore Children's psychiatric Center, he founded the Institute for Behavioral Health in 1983. His goal then and now was to make state of the art behavioral treatment programs available to the community. In 2004, he opened FOCUS through FUN, Long Island's  First Certified Play Attention Learning Center, right next  door to the Institute for Behavioral Health in Commack. FOCUS through FUN is now available in Nassau County:  Mineola, Port Washington, and Garden City, as well Shoreham in Eastern Suffollk.

Now specializing the assessment and treatment ADD, ODD, and related disorders, particularly through his highly regarded and effective group parent training program that has helped hundreds of families live together in harmony since 1971.

Dr. Bob Kifer is a licensed psychologist specializing in social skills and developmental disabilities.  He has been involved in children’s social skills training since his graduate school days at the University of Kansas, then one of the premier graduate programs in applied behavior analysis.  While at Kansas, he studied under Montrose Wolf, Donald Baer, Todd Risley, and many other international experts in this field.  Dr. Kifer’s Master’s Thesis on social skills training was published as the lead article in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (Fall,1974).

Dr. Kifer earned his doctoral degree in Developmental and Child Psychology at the University of Kansas in 1976.  During a post-doctoral internship, Dr. Kifer worked closely with Dr. Jan Roosa, a pioneer in the field of personal and interpersonal competence development (see www.Brainspire.com).

Dr. Kifer worked at Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center from 1976 to 1985.  He began as a staff psychologist and group home coordinator.  While maintaining his role as group home coordinator, Dr. Kifer also served as Director of the Psychology Department, Director of Staff Education and Training, and Director of Autism Services.  The group home program he implemented and supervised won the New York State Office of Mental Health Outstanding Program and Service Award in 1983.   

Since 1985, Dr. Kifer has worked for Western Suffolk BOCES, and is a co-founder of their Applied Behavior Analysis special education program.  In 1986, he co-founded the pioneering social skills group program at the Institute for Behavioral Health, and has been working to further refine this approach and train others in its use, while maintaining its high quality as measured by the parents of the children it serves. 

For more information, please feel free to contact us at any of the following:

 
The red star indicates where the Institute for Behavioral Health is located.