Just Navigating Reentry using Peer Support

Guest Biography

Dr. Nicole Swiderski is the Manager of the Community Affairs Unit at the New Jersey State Parole Board, which consists of research, grants, internships, contracted community programs, access to reentry services, and the agency’s Public Information Office (with Dr. Swiderski acting as the Public Information Officer). She serves as lead researcher and grant program manager of the agency’s FY 21 COSSUP Award, and previously served as a research assistant for the NJSPB’s Second Chance Act Reentry Program and research consultant to evaluate the effectiveness of the LSI-R in predicting supervised offender recidivism. Dr. Swiderski is dedicated to interdisciplinary research, particularly at the intersection of criminal justice and psychology. Her primary lines of research include offender reentry, cognitive consequences of victimization, domestic violence and sports, and media and crime. Dr. Swiderski is the Registered Agent, Treasurer, and Board Member of The LINDA Organization, which helps justice-involved women struggling with homelessness, mental health, and/or substance use regain their freedom and redefine their future. She is also on the Board of Trustees in an At-Large capacity of the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association. In addition to her work at the NJSPB, Dr. Swiderski teaches as an adjunct professor at several New Jersey colleges and universities. She has published articles in several interdisciplinary journals, and recently co-authored a book, Crime in TV, the News, and Film: Misconceptions, Mischaracterizations, and Misinformation, published by Rowman & Littlefield. 

Jass Pelland is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She has worked over 37 years in the addiction and mental health field. She is currently a Program Manager for the Supporting the Path to Recovery peer program at Rutgers UBHC Community Support Services. Prior to coming to Rutgers, she spent 15 years as a Clinical Director of an intensive outpatient and outpatient program in Flemington, NJ. Jass has taught workshops on various topics related to peer support, addiction, and mental health for the Center of Addiction Studies, the Institute of Chemical Dependency, and the Administrative Office of the Courts to name a few. She was a Clinical Supervisor consultant for the Administrative Office of the Courts in New Jersey for 12 years and does clinical work for the Intensive Supervision also within the AOC in the State of New Jersey. She served 4 years as President of the Professional Advisory Committee for the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services for the State of NJ and has been a member since 2008. She is on the Executive Board for the New Jersey Coalition for Addiction Recovery Support. She is a current member of NASW-NJ.