Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) today announced a $1,249,501 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DoED) for Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS). The grant, part of DoED’s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration program, will fund JCPS’s Project STARR, which will implement dual-focused school psychology practical training and internships to prepare school psychology graduate trainees to deliver early and intensive mental health services in addition to school psychology competencies.
“I am proud to announce this funding which advances a critical priority – the mental health of our children,” said Congressman Menendez. “In working with Jersey City Public Schools, we have now delivered federal funding which will put more mental health professionals into Jersey City schools and provide children with mental-health services at a time when many children need all of the support that can be given to them. I have and always will fight for every single resource that we can secure to support our children and our public schools.”
“We are absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to receive the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program Grant,” said Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez. “The grant represents a critical investment in our students’ well-being. This funding is essential for the Jersey City Public Schools District to continue and expand our dedicated school-based mental health services, ensuring our students have the consistent support they need to thrive academically and personally.”
"Thank you Congressman Rob Menendez for securing this generous grant, and for your continued support of the Jersey City School District," said Jersey City Board of Education President Noemi Velazquez. "At a time when Washington is cutting funding for the much needed educational programs, it is heartwarming to know that we can depend on a friend and champion like you in Congress, advocating for our children. Your tireless efforts and sound commitment to your community never goes unnoticed and is always appreciated."
The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program provides competitive grants to test and evaluate innovative partnerships between institutions of higher education (IHE) and States or high-need local education agencies (LEA) to train school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals qualified to provide school-based mental health services, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these workers into low-income public elementary schools and secondary schools in order to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in such schools.
Project STARR has three goals: (1) Increase the capacity of available JCPS school psychologists delivering mental health services by implementing a dual-focus school psychology training program; (2) Increase the number of newly hired credentialed school psychologists available to deliver early intervention mental health services and intensive mental health services in JCPS; and (3) Trainees will provide evidence-based early intervention and intensive mental health services to students through their practicums.
A strong advocate for public schools, Congressman Menendez worked with the New Jersey Democratic delegation earlier this year to release $162 million in K-12 and adult education funding frozen by the Trump Administration. This year, Congressman Menendez also brought back over $15 million for Head Start and early childhood education programs in our communities.
###
