About Us
The Stronger Connections Technical Assistance Grant
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has partnered with the Rutgers Center for Comprehensive School Mental Health to develop and implement PD4Me New Jersey. The PD4Me New Jersey Center is designed to provide on-demand professional development on reducing chronic absenteeism, enhancing student mental health, improving student engagement, and expanding inclusive practices statewide. This initiative employs evidence-based strategies to establish a centralized resource hub that improves efficiency, consistency, and accessibility for educators throughout the state. Through PD4Me, all educators will be able to engage with high-quality training materials at no cost and at their convenience.
In addition to the on demand professional development courses, targeted professional development and capacity-building support will be available to high-need local education agencies (LEAs) through it’s K-12 teachers and staff through learning pathways. Through an application process, high need LEAs can access live, virtual support via Communities of Practice (CoP), expert-lead learning sessions, and consultation office hours.
Our partners at the NJDOE include the following:
Luiz (Lu) Pereira, Ed.M. (NJDOE), Project Director
Kelly Allen, M.A.T. (NJDOE), Project Manager
Stephanie Osgoodby, M.A. (NJDOE), Change Management Manager
Jeannie Weaver, Ed.S., NCSP (NJDOE), Education Program Development Specialist
Our Vision
Our vision is to empower New Jersey’s K–12 educators and school staff through free, high-quality professional development that is practical, research-informed, and immediately applicable to the classroom and school environment. Through engaging online courses, collaborative virtual communities, and meaningful synchronous learning opportunities, we aim to elevate best practices, foster continuous improvement, and support educators in implementing effective, real-world solutions that enhance teaching, learning, and student success across the state.
Our Mission
We are committed to delivering the highest quality of accessible, professional development opportunities to strengthen the capacity of New Jersey’s K–12 educators and school staff to support students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and learning needs. By offering applied online learning, facilitated peer learning communities, and live interactive sessions, we enable educators to translate evidence-based strategies into daily practice and address real-world challenges to enhance student success throughout the state.
Our Team
The Rutgers Center for Comprehensive School Mental Health (Rutgers-CCSMH) offers training and technical assistance to support the development, enhancement, and sustainability of comprehensive school mental health systems in schools, districts, and state education agencies. We have expertise in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Comprehensive School Mental Health (CSMH), the Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF), and school evidence-based interventions. Our goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by partnering with schools to support the whole child with academic success and social emotional well-being.
Alicia Lukachko, DrPH, MSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor and Implementation Coach
Our Commitment and Funding
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and Rutgers University are committed to ensuring that all professional development opportunities are accessible, equitable, and inclusive for every educator and school staff member.
Our initiative provides a range of learning opportunities designed to meet the diverse needs of New Jersey’s education professionals. We strive to make all digital and virtual experiences accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. We continuously review and improve our platforms, materials, and facilitation practices to remove barriers and enhance participation for all, including individuals with disabilities. If you experience any accessibility challenges or require accommodations to fully engage in our activities, please contact us.
For more information regarding the grant please contact: Ann A. Murphy, Ph.D. or Kristy Ritvalsky, MPH at njpd4me@shp.rutgers.edu.
Funds for the development of this project are provided in full in the total of $900,000 by one grant from the United States Department of Education, with 55.56% from the Establishing the New Jersey Department of Education Virtual Technical Assistance (TA) Center: PD4Me New Jersey Grant (CFDA No. 84.424H). Additional Federal funds anticipated for this project include 27.78% from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and 16.67% from the Every Student Succeeds Act, Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program. These additional funds will be added as they become available.
support hours
Monday through Friday
9am – 4:30pm
(Eastern Time)
Address
Rutgers University
PD4Me New Jersey
Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Counseling Professions
675 Hoes Lane West, 8th Floor
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Funding
This project is funded by the New Jersey Department of Education under grant #xxxxxxxx.
