Rutgers Receives $4.6 Million Federal Grant to Support Mental Health in Newark Schools

Led by the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, a new fellowship program will help address the shortage of mental health services for children attending high-need schools in the district

Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) will train and place graduate students in Newark schools to aid youth facing mental health challenges.

The initiative is supported by a $4.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, with Rutgers professor Anne Gregory serving as principal investigator.

The funding is part of the department’s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program to expand nationwide student access to school-based mental health services. The grant supports the GSAPP-led Pathways Project: Expanding the Capacity of Newark Board of Education to Provide Effective Inclusive Mental Health Services. GSAPP will collaborate with the Newark Board of Education, Rutgers School of Social Work and the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University-Newark.

Over the five-year funding period, graduate students in school psychology and social work will be placed in six district schools, with specific placements still to be determined. The program’s first cohort is set to launch in 2025.

Newark, New Jersey’s largest school district, serves more than 42,000 students. The city has a poverty rate of 24.7% – more than double the national average of 11.1%.

This economic disparity highlights the need for expanded youth mental health services, particularly increasing the number and diversity of school-based mental health professionals, project leaders said.

“There is an urgent need to recruit and retain culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse graduate students to deliver high-quality mental health services in high-need schools,” said Elisa Shernoff, co-principal investigator and associate professor in GSAPP’s school psychology department. “The Pathways Project provides an unprecedented opportunity for unique, interdisciplinary training in social work and school psychology with teams of providers who will develop competence delivering inclusive, evidence-based mental health services.”

Fellows will deliver mental health services through paid practicum and internships supported by stipends from the grant. In return, they will commit to serving in Newark schools or another high-need district after graduation.

Margaret O’Donoghue, assistant professor and director of the Promoting Child and Adolescent Well-Being Certificate Program, and Trinay V. Thomas, assistant teaching professor and associate director of practicum learning, both with the School of Social Work, will lead the recruitment, selection and placement of social work fellows. With nearly 25% of Newark students learning English as a second language, leaders said the recruitment will focus on multilingual fellows to improve communication and support to students and families.

“The Pathways Project is a great opportunity for Newark Public Schools to partner with Rutgers University in preparing future social workers and psychologists to meet the needs of our students and maintain the social-emotional well-being and mental health of everyone in our district,” said Newark Board of Education Superintendent Roger León. 

Organizers of the fellowship program also seek to:

• Work toward practical Newark Board of Education training placements through advocacy, ongoing communication and long-term planning
• Collaborate with Rutgers Newark faculty to develop pipeline initiatives and recruitment events with undergraduate students
• Support field-based supervisors through monthly seminars and research-based practices
• Foster sustainable mentorship opportunities by connecting fellows with experienced mental health professionals in high-need New Jersey schools to support their early career transition

Program organizers are partnering with GSAPP alumna Ramona Ross, a teaching instructor and assistant undergraduate director, and Audrey Redding-Raines, an assistant teaching instructor, both with the School of Arts and Sciences – Newark, “to focus on increasing their undergraduate students’ awareness of career possibilities in mental health service delivery in schools,” said Gregory, a professor in the department of school psychology at GSAPP.

Gregory added, “Many of their students are interested in psychology, social work and giving back to their own communities. We want to help shine a light on the various training pathways toward meaningful careers – careers where they can make a difference in the lives of youth.”