Jersey City Public Schools has been awarded a $1,249,501 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funding was announced by Congressman Rob Menendez and will be used to support mental health services for students in the district.
The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program and will fund Jersey City Public Schools’ Project STARR initiative.
- Jersey City Public Schools was awarded a $1,249,501 grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
- The funding will support Project STARR, a school psychology training and internship program.
- The grant comes from the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program.
Grant Funding Supports Project STARR Program
The grant funding will be used to carry out Project STARR, which centers on dual-focused school psychology training through practical experiences and internships for graduate-level trainees. The structure of the program prepares participants to provide early intervention and intensive mental health services while also fulfilling core school psychology responsibilities.
Outlined in the announcement, Project STARR is guided by three objectives. One objective is to expand the service capacity of current Jersey City Public Schools school psychologists by introducing a dual-focus training approach. Another objective is to increase the number of newly hired, credentialed school psychologists who are qualified to deliver early intervention and intensive mental health services within the district. The third objective is for trainees to deliver evidence-based early intervention and intensive mental health services to students as part of their practicum experiences.
Federal Mental Health Grant Program
The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program awards competitive federal grants to support and assess new partnership models involving institutions of higher education and either states or high-need local education agencies. The program is intended to help train school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other qualified professionals to provide mental health services in schools.
The program is intended to strengthen the workforce serving low-income public elementary and secondary schools by increasing the number of trained mental health service professionals and responding directly to existing staffing shortages in those schools.
Statements From Local and Federal Leaders
Congressman Rob Menendez stated that the funding advances a critical priority focused on the mental health of children and said the grant will put more mental health professionals into Jersey City schools while providing students with mental health services at a time when many children need additional support.
Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez said the district is thankful to receive the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program Grant. She mentioned the funding is necessary to continue and broaden school-based mental health services that help students succeed both academically and personally.
Jersey City Board of Education President Noemi Velazquez expressed appreciation to Congressman Menendez for obtaining the grant and pointed to his ongoing support of the Jersey City School District. She noted that the funding is especially meaningful at a time when educational programs are experiencing federal funding reductions and recognized his advocacy on behalf of students and public schools.
Additional Federal Education Funding Secured
Earlier this year, Congressman Menendez worked with the New Jersey Democratic delegation to release $162 million in K-12 and adult education funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration. During the same year, he also brought back more than $15 million for Head Start and early childhood education programs in local communities.
