Center for Family Excellence
Sustaining families where they live
Founder
Dr. Jerome Taylor
Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Association of Black Psychologists. It is the group's highest honor. Dr. Taylor has dedicated his life to working to promote the viability of children and families, within the Pittsburgh community. He has developed and implemented a holistic approach to values-based parenting and education. After receiving his doctorate in child and adolescent psychology from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1965,
Dr. Taylor received appointment to teach at the University of Pittsburgh where he serves as an Associate Professor, with a primary appointment in the Department of Africana Studies and a secondary appointment in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Taylor has held a number of positions at the University during his tenure such as Chairman, Graduate Program in Social Psychology and the Director of the Clinical Psychology Center at the University. In 1969, he responded to the concerns of parents in the Hill District to prevent social, emotional, and cognitive problems in children under age 3.
He founded and directed the Right Start program in 1970 which continues to this day. He founded and directed the Institute for the Black Family at the University of Pittsburgh which combined all of the programs developed to date. In 1996, he spearheaded the move from the University of Pittsburgh and the establishment of the Center for Family Excellence as an independent entity.
Under his leadership, over 34 assessment inventories have been developed to evaluate the need for services by clients and the impact of those interventions. Over 33 intervention protocols that identify how staff implements all interventions developed by the Center are available to provide training for other service providers. Dr. Taylor has published numerous articles which explore the role of cultural, religious and structural factors on the mental and physical health of Black people.
