Neha Mahajan Hertzog has joined Northwest Regional Education Service District as the new school safety and prevention services teacher on special assignment (TOSA). Neha replaces Jennifer Johnson, who is now working on school safety and prevention projects at the Oregon Department of Education.
In her new role, Neha will collaborate with the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority to ensure educators, school districts and community partners in northwest Oregon have the training and expertise to develop, roll out and maintain a strong school safety and prevention system.
The school safety and prevention system was originally established in May of 2019 by the Oregon Legislature as part of the Student Success Act. Neha joins 15 other school safety and prevention specialists across the state who are all working toward building a more coordinated approach to school safety. The goal of the system is to integrate school safety in a way that ensures students who have historically been pushed to the margins — students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+, students who are learning English, students who are experiencing mental illness — are successful and have a voice in the system that is meant to keep them safe.
Neha will provide technical expertise, consultation, training and system development to educators, schools and community partners in several key safety and health prevention areas. These include:
- Conducting and providing training on behavioral safety (threat) assessments
- Supporting educators with suicide prevention, risk assessment and response
- Creating and supporting crisis and tragedy response teams
- Preventing and addressing bullying, cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation
- Establishing sexual incident response protocols to address sexual violence and harrassment in schools
- Fostering a safe and inclusive school climate and culture
- Helping districts carry out the Every Student Belongs rule, which prohibits the three most recognized hate symbols at schools or school-related events
- Developing bias incident response protocols
- Promoting social and emotional learning
- Expanding access and understanding of mental health and well-being
Neha, who is a licensed social worker and also holds a doctorate in developmental psychology, has 8 years of experience in K-12 education. Most recently, she worked as a school social worker for the St. Helens School District. As the district’s first school social worker, Neha responded to student crises, provided short-term mental health support, referred students and families to community resources, coordinated the district’s behavioral safety assessment work and led trainings on suicide prevention and risk assessments.
She also helped launch an equity leadership team that focused on anti-racist learning and reflection, with a goal of overhauling curriculum, systems, and practices so they are more equitable for students. She was a founding member of St. Helens High School’s 9th Grade Success team, which used equity- and evidence-based change ideas to help more students graduate from high school.
“Neha is a perfect fit for this role,” says Ryan Blasquez, a director of instruction at NWRESD. “She has the technical skills and thinking needed to build and sustain our systems for school safety and crisis management. She does that important work by using an equity lens that keeps students and families at the center of her decision making. I am really excited about the opportunity to work with her and learn from her. Our region is lucky to have her in this role.”
Neha also worked as a licensed social worker in the Beaverton School District for 3 years. During her time there, she provided social work services to students at 12 schools, including primary, secondary and alternative schools. She developed and implemented therapeutic groups for students experiencing anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, grief, divorce and other challenges. She also analyzed the effectiveness of the district’s social work program every year that was presented to district administrators and the school board.
“I’m honored to have the privilege and responsibility of working in a role that allows me to have a meaningful impact on the lives and well-being of students in our region,” Neha says. “By proactively identifying and addressing potential risks, we can cultivate a culture of safety and support and ensure that all students in our region can learn, grow and thrive in an environment that fosters their academic, emotional and social development.”
Neha has a doctorate in developmental psychology from Yale University, a master’s degree in social work from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from Yale.
She is based at the Washington Service Center in Hillsboro.
For more information about the school safety and prevention services available to school districts, visit our school safety webpage. You can also sign up for email updates about upcoming events and training opportunities.
Northwest Regional Education Service District is the largest of Oregon’s 19 education service districts. It serves 20 school districts in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. These school districts serve over 97,000 students. Through state funding, contracts, and private and public grants, the agency provides a wide range of special education and specialized services to students, educators and families in the region.