Director of the Maternal and Family Center
Care Plus NJ
Clifton, New Jersey
Jessica Ayala, LCSW, PMH-C (pending), is the Director of the Maternal and Family Center at CarePlus NJ, where she leads comprehensive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive services for mothers, children, and families. With expertise in perinatal mental health, she specializes in treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, birth trauma, grief and loss, parenting stress, and family system challenges.
She has over a decade of experience in community mental health, advancing from clinician to leadership roles that integrate evidence-based practices with collaborative, interdisciplinary care. In her current role, she oversees program development, clinical supervision, and strategic initiatives to expand access and improve outcomes for underserved populations.
A frequent presenter and advocate, Jessica has shared her expertise on maternal mental health at state and regional conferences, including NJAMHAA’s 2024 Spring Conference. She is trained in CBT, TF-CBT, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, and perinatal-specific interventions. Passionate about reducing barriers to care, she is dedicated to strengthening maternal well-being and family resilience through innovative approaches such as in-home therapy within the CCBHC framework.
Monday, April 27, 2026
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM MDT