Staff

For more information on our educational programs and initiatives please e-mail Jacqueline Catalano.

 

Office:
Dickson Hall
Room 301

Phone: 973-655-4188

E mail: McCormick

Hours: By appointment

 

Robert McCormick, Ph.D., Ph.D., J.D.
Director, Center for Child Advocacy
Child Advocacy and Policy
Professor, Psychology

Education: Ph.D. in Psychology, Rutgers University; Ph.D. in Eighteenth Century Spanish Literature, City University of New York; Psychoanalyst Certification, New York University Post-doctoral Program in Psychoanalysis. Dr. McCormick presently attends Rutgers University School of Law in Newark.
Biographical sketch:

Dr. McCormick maintains a private practice in Montclair where he works extensively with children and adult survivors of child abuse and neglect.  He has published and lectured extensively on issues related to the well-being of children. In addition to two books and numerous publications, Dr. McCormick has spearheaded the development of numerous academic programs in Child Advocacy including the Post-BA Certificate in Child Advocacy and the first Master of Arts degree in Child Advocacy in the country. Dr. McCormick was instrumental in securing two major grants from the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), one which supports the Post-BA Certificate in Child Advocacy and another which partners Montclair State with Rutgers and Stockton in an in state-wide initiative to provide training for DYFS workers.  He has extensive experience in the field of forensic psychology and served as a consultant to the DYFS in child abuse cases, particularly involving Latino families and children, offering expert testimony and performing Termination of Parental Rights evaluations.  Dr. McCormick has also worked as a staff psychologist at Mt. Carmel Guild Community Health Center in Newark for many years.  Dr. McCormick has served on the Board of Advisers for the Office of the Child Advocate. In March 2011, Dr. McCormick was appointed by Gov. Chris Christie to the 13 member New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (NJTFCAN). He is one of the five Task Force members representing the general public.

 

 

Jacqueline Catalano, MS
Program Manager
Center for Child Advocacy
Child Advocacy and Policy

Education: MS in Counselor Education, Queens College; BS in Psychology, Adelphi University

Office:
Dickson Hall
Room 373

Phone:
973-655-4188

E mail: Catalano

Hours:
M - F /
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Biographical Sketch:

Jacqueline has over 20 years experience in the Child Welfare system in New York City. Most recently she served as the Director of Homefinding and Intake at Episcopal Social Services. She has worked with biological parents, foster children, foster parents, and social work staff. At MSU she is responsible for being the Center’s liaison within the MSU infra-structure, monitoring CHAD programs, interviewing prospective students, ongoing student advisement, management of the CHAD web site, supervising the yearly appointed graduate assistants and providing support to all of the Center’s grants and programs.  Ms. Catalano organizes CHAD’s annual national conference on Child Maltreatment. Her interests include permanency, child advocacy, prevention programs, and adoption.

 

 

Joanne Caruso, MBA
Program Assistant
Center for Child Advocacy
Child Advocacy and Policy

Education: MBA in Business Administration, Caldwell College; BA in Economics and Italian, Rutgers University

Office:
Dickson Hall
Room 301

Phone:
973-655-4188

E mail:
CarusoJ

Hours:
M - F
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Biographical Sketch:

A recent MBA graduate, Joanne brings her wealth of administrative skills and knowledge to the Center for Child Advocacy. Her experience includes working at Rutgers University in administrative computing services, working with children in early education and working in the pharmaceutical industry. Her interests include academics and advocacy for children.