Passaic Today

Montclair State University has been granted $3.5 million by the U.S. Department of Education to tackle shortages in school psychology and mental health services in New Jersey public schools. The funding is part of a broader $70 million investment by the Biden-Harris administration to enhance access to mental health services in schools nationwide.

The initiative, titled EPIC-MHP: Enhancing Preservice Instruction for Comprehensive Mental Health Provision, will be led by Talida State, an Associate Professor at Montclair's College for Education and Engaged Learning, with Julia Coyne serving as co-principal investigator. Coyne is the Director of the School Psychology Certificate Program at Montclair.

The project represents a collaboration between Montclair and local education agencies in West Orange, East Orange, and Clifton. It aims to recruit, train, and retain diverse school psychologists who are culturally responsive and equipped to handle current educational and mental health challenges.

Over five years, the program will train 60 graduate students enrolled in a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology with state certification in school psychology. These trainees will participate in fieldwork experiences designed to develop competencies in school psychology and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) driven mental health service delivery.

"Our goal is to prepare a new generation of school psychologists with the expertise to tackle the growing mental health challenges in our schools," said State. She emphasized embedding MTSS principles into training to prepare students for both direct mental health services and leading initiatives that promote student well-being.

Coyne highlighted the importance of paid practica and internships: "It’s wonderful to be able to reduce some of the financial burdens associated with school psychology training in New Jersey."

The EPIC-MHP project also demonstrates effective collaboration between Montclair's College for Education and Engaged Learning (CEEL) and College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), aligning with Montclair State University's Strategic Plan 2025: Project Soar.