Meet the Home Visiting Team
Eva Szmutko | Director of 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 and VT 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 early opportunities and supports help families in reaching 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.
Nancy Oliveira | Manager, Home Visiting
Nancy Oliveira joined PCA-NJ in 2012. She has more than a decade 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.
Elizabeth Paterno | Supervisor, 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 obtained her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Kean 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.
Gina Hoffman | Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Gina Hoffman joined PCA-NJ in 2022 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.
Yesenia Santana | Program Specialist, Home Visiting
Yesenia Santana joined PCA-NJ in 2022. She previously spent several years with the NYC Department of Education in various family, community, and central-based roles. Her experience includes the development of programs, policies, and procedures. In particular, she worked in the Special Education department, where she provided coaching, organizational development training, and curriculum services to educators throughout the system. Yesenia holds a BA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her passion is in supporting and developing innovative approaches to improving outcomes for families and children.