Meryem Ozkus serves as a Lead Infant and Early Childhood Consultant and Pyramid Model Coach for the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health (CAECMH) at Montclair State University. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MA certificate in Child Advocacy, and has successfully completed the statewide Fellowship for Early Childhood Mental Health at MSU.
With over a decade of experience supporting preschool programs, families, and young children, Meryem’s career began at the Center for Family Resources in Passaic County, where she served as a Social Services Coordinator overseeing Head Start admissions and grants, followed by seven years as an Early Head Start Home Visitor for Clifton and Wayne. She subsequently served as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator for Morris and Sussex counties.
Currently, Meryem is in her fourth year as an Infant Mental Health Endorsed® specialist (IMH-E® II). She is among a select group of specialists in New Jersey qualified to conduct TPOT (Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool) and TPITOS (Teaching Pyramid to Infant and Toddlers Observation Tool) assessments. In her role at CAECMH, she partners with teachers, administrators, and staff to ensure program fidelity, while facilitating training, observations, and reflective meetings across the state.