360° Health: Fostering resilience, self-efficacy, and an internal locus of control in youth
Podcasts > It's Your Life
Monday, January 26, 2026
Show Highlights
Dr. James JC Cooley along with Co-Host Dr. Michael Mantell- renowned and esteemed mental health architect and prolific author have a sit-down conversation with Dr. Stephen Mateka is the Medical Director of Psychiatry for Inspira Health System and serves as Co-Chair of Psychiatry
Rule #1 is Know Your Audience. You cannot effectively help what you do not understand. Empathetic curiosity is key.
Kids and teens unknowingly give away their power of choice to external forces
and internal thinking traps in how they act, react, the type of effort they have, and
type of attitude they bring.
Empowering youth to take ownership of their unique and individua impressiveness will carry them to overcome future obstacles and challenges.
Support is the top predictor of resilience and top protective factor against
decompensation of mental health.
Biography
Dr. Stephen Mateka is the Medical Director of Psychiatry for Inspira Health System and serves as Co-Chair of Psychiatry. He is the Immediate Past President of the New Jersey Psychiatric Association, Executive Committee member of Eastern Pennsylvania/Southern New Jersey Regional Organization for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Times Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section Editor, a member of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Inpatient/Partial Hospitalization/Residential Treatment Committee and Public Resources Committee, and works with the state of New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care as Psychiatrist Advisor. Dr. Mateka completed medical school and general psychiatry residency at Rowan University-School of Osteopathic Medicine and his Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Michigan. He is double board certified in General and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Mateka resides in southern New Jersey and enjoys spending his free time with family and friends. He is also a passionate fan of Philadelphia sports teams, despite their negative impact on his wellness.
