Nydia Monagas

Biography

Nydia Y. Monagas, Psy.D., is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy at Montclair State University, where she supervises the practicum experience for undergraduate Child Advocacy and Policy majors and teaches courses on child abuse and neglect, child advocacy, and other related topics. She is the former director of the Family Impact Seminars in New Jersey which provides state policymakers with nonpartisan, solution-oriented research on family issues. In addition, Dr. Monagas is the Director of Training and Statewide Initiatives with the New Jersey Children’s Alliance (NJCA), a statewide non-profit whose mission is to promote and support communities in providing a coordinated investigation and comprehensive response to victims of child abuse, neglect and family violence. In this role, she promoted legislation that led to the development and funding of Child Advocacy Centers in every county. She serves on several statewide Boards, including the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, and is the co-chair of the Subcommittee on Poverty, Neglect and Community Outcomes, focused on reforming mandated reporting in New Jersey. Dr. Monagas is also the co-chair of the Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) Statewide Response Workgroup, which established a statewide strategy to respond to cases involving PSB. She previously conducted psychological evaluations and treatment for children and families involved in the child welfare system. She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.  She also has a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology and a Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University.