Meet the Home Visiting Team
Jessica Nugent | Director, Home Visiting
Jessica Nugent joined PCA-NJ in 2012. She has always had a passion for home visitation programs and is enthused by the positive impact these services have on families. Jessica also manages the Regional Technical Assistance Center designated by PAT National Center, providing support services to PAT sites in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland and Washington, DC. In addition, Jessica participates in many national CQI and evaluation initiatives, focusing on data collection and analysis to determine how to strengthen and expand home visitation programs nationally. She is a HFA national trainer and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Nancy Oliveira | Senior Program Coordinator, Home Visiting
Nancy Oliveira joined PCA-NJ in 2012. She has over 10 years of experience working with children, youth and families in different roles and programs. She is a certified ASQ & ASQ:SE-2 trainer and also a certified peer reviewer for the HFA network. She was accepted to participate on the HFA Accreditation Panel, which reviews the model’s accreditation process to identify best practices and refine current practice to ensure model fidelity. Nancy earned her Master’s degree in Educational Technology from NJCU.
Eva Szmutko | Senior Program Coordinator, Home Visiting
Eva Szmutko joined PCA-NJ in 2012. She is a Parents as Teachers National Trainer, is a member of the International Council of PAT Leaders, and takes part in advisory groups for the PAT National Center. Eva works with our NJ HV programs and our NY PAT Programs. Eva is also a Healthy Families America Peer Reviewer and a certified ASQ & ASQ:SE trainer. She previously worked with out-of-school-time programs and AmeriCorps members in the City of Trenton. She strongly believes that all children and families deserve the opportunity to realize their full potential. Eva is an alumna of AmeriCorps VISTA, New York University, and Rutgers University, where she obtained a Master’s in Public Administration.
Sarah Baig | Senior Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Sarah Baig joined PCA-NJ in 2015. Sarah attended Elon University in NC where she obtained a BA in Human Service Studies and traveled to 10 different countries in Central America, Europe, and Asia doing service work surrounding issues of violence against women and children and music and arts education. She is an HFA Peer Reviewer and a Parents as Teachers National Trainer. Sarah believes in these home visiting models and enjoys seeing the positive impacts the programs have on families and children. Sarah is a licensed social worker certified in Violence Against Women and Children and Non-Profit Management. Sarah received her MSW from Rutgers University.
Elizabeth Paterno | Senior Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Elizabeth Paterno joined PCA-NJ in 2015. She is an HFA Peer Reviewer, Domestic Violence Response Advocate, and a Sexual Assault Response Advocate. Previously, she worked at Wynona’s House Child Advocacy Center in Newark, NJ as a Program Specialist, where she worked with children who were abused and/or neglected. She graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Family and Child Studies with a concentration in Family Services. She is a HFA national trainer and obtaining her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Kean University.
Gina Hoffman – Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Gina Hoffman recently joined PCA-NJ with over ten years’ experience serving communities in New Jersey. Gina is no stranger to New Jersey’s home visiting network, with over four years’ experience managing Healthy Families-TIP, Parents as Teachers, and Connecting NJ (formerly Central Intake) programs in the southern part of the state. She is passionate about enhancing communities through outreach and facilitating key partnerships. Gina has completed the Brazelton Touchpoints certification series and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a specialization in Rhetoric and Cultural Studies from Rowan University.
Michellé Alequin – Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Michellé Alequin joined PCA-NJ in 2022. Michellé has always maintained a passion for working with families and has experience working in the field for over 7 years. Previously, she has worked as an early childhood educator, an ABA therapist, and a Service Coordinator for the Regional Early Intervention Collaborative. She has high regard for both the HFA and PAT home visiting models and loves seeing the beneficial impact it continues to make for many families. Michellé graduated from Kean University where she received her BA in Psychology.