diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c6906ad..59bbb72 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ dynamic = ["version"]
 
 dependencies = [
     'dask',
-    'aind-data-transfer-models==0.8.4'
+    'aind-data-schema-models==0.4.4',
+    'pydantic>=2.0',
+    'pydantic-settings>=2.0'
 ]
 
 [project.optional-dependencies]
diff --git a/src/aind_data_upload_utils/check_directories_job.py b/src/aind_data_upload_utils/check_directories_job.py
index 3e71f1d..57e9eee 100644
--- a/src/aind_data_upload_utils/check_directories_job.py
+++ b/src/aind_data_upload_utils/check_directories_job.py
@@ -4,11 +4,9 @@
 """
 
 import argparse
-import json
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
-from copy import deepcopy
 from glob import glob
 from pathlib import Path
 from time import time
@@ -16,9 +14,8 @@
 
 from aind_data_schema_models.modalities import Modality
 from aind_data_schema_models.platforms import Platform
-from aind_data_transfer_models.core import ModalityConfigs
 from dask import bag as dask_bag
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, field_validator
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
 from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings
 
 # Set log level from env var
@@ -26,6 +23,14 @@
 logging.basicConfig(level=LOG_LEVEL)
 
 
+class ModalityConfigs(BaseModel):
+    """Modality type and source directories"""
+
+    modality: Modality.ONE_OF
+    extra_configs: Optional[str] = Field(default=None)
+    source: str
+
+
 class DirectoriesToCheckConfigs(BaseModel):
     """Basic model needed from BasicUploadConfigs"""
 
@@ -33,34 +38,6 @@ class DirectoriesToCheckConfigs(BaseModel):
     modalities: List[ModalityConfigs] = []
     metadata_dir: Optional[Path] = None
 
-    @field_validator("modalities", mode="before")
-    def parse_json_str(
-        cls, mod_configs: Union[List[ModalityConfigs], List[dict]]
-    ) -> List[ModalityConfigs]:
-        """
-        Method to ignore computed fields in serialized model, which might
-        raise validation errors.
-        Parameters
-        ----------
-        mod_configs : Union[List[ModalityConfigs], List[dict]]
-
-        Returns
-        -------
-        List[ModalityConfigs]
-        """
-        parsed_configs = []
-        for mod_conf in mod_configs:
-            if isinstance(mod_conf, dict):
-                json_obj = deepcopy(mod_conf)
-                if "output_folder_name" in json_obj:
-                    del json_obj["output_folder_name"]
-                parsed_configs.append(
-                    ModalityConfigs.model_validate_json(json.dumps(json_obj))
-                )
-            else:
-                parsed_configs.append(mod_conf)
-        return parsed_configs
-
 
 class JobSettings(BaseSettings, extra="allow"):
     """Job settings for CheckDirectoriesJob"""
@@ -131,6 +108,9 @@ def _get_list_of_directories_to_check(self) -> List[Union[Path, str]]:
         for modality_config in dirs_to_check_configs.modalities:
             modality = modality_config.modality
             source_dir = modality_config.source
+            extra_configs = modality_config.extra_configs
+            if extra_configs is not None:
+                self._check_path(extra_configs)
             # We'll handle SmartSPIM differently and partition 3 levels deep
             if modality == Modality.SPIM and platform == Platform.SMARTSPIM:
                 # Check top level files
@@ -150,7 +130,7 @@ def _get_list_of_directories_to_check(self) -> List[Union[Path, str]]:
                     else:
                         self._check_path(Path(smart_spim_path).as_posix())
             else:
-                directories_to_check.append(source_dir.as_posix())
+                directories_to_check.append(Path(source_dir).as_posix())
         return directories_to_check
 
     def _dask_task_to_process_directory_list(
diff --git a/tests/test_check_directories_job.py b/tests/test_check_directories_job.py
index fba4a65..f7e2b63 100644
--- a/tests/test_check_directories_job.py
+++ b/tests/test_check_directories_job.py
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@
 
 from aind_data_schema_models.modalities import Modality
 from aind_data_schema_models.platforms import Platform
-from aind_data_transfer_models.core import ModalityConfigs
 
 from aind_data_upload_utils.check_directories_job import (
     CheckDirectoriesJob,
     DirectoriesToCheckConfigs,
     JobSettings,
+    ModalityConfigs,
 )
 
 RESOURCES_DIR = Path(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))) / "resources"
@@ -286,6 +286,34 @@ def test_get_list_of_directories_to_check(
             self.expected_list_of_directories_to_check, list_of_directories
         )
 
+    @patch(
+        "aind_data_upload_utils.check_directories_job.CheckDirectoriesJob."
+        "_check_path"
+    )
+    def test_get_list_of_directories_to_check_with_extra_configs(
+        self, mock_check_path: MagicMock
+    ):
+        """Tests _get_list_of_directories_to_check with extra_configs"""
+        configs = DirectoriesToCheckConfigs(
+            platform=Platform.SMARTSPIM,
+            modalities=[
+                ModalityConfigs(
+                    source=(
+                        RESOURCES_DIR / "example_ephys_data_set"
+                    ).as_posix(),
+                    modality=Modality.ECEPHYS,
+                    extra_configs=(RESOURCES_DIR / "extra_conf").as_posix(),
+                ),
+            ],
+            metadata_dir=(RESOURCES_DIR / "metadata_dir").as_posix(),
+        )
+        example_job = CheckDirectoriesJob(
+            job_settings=JobSettings(directories_to_check_configs=configs)
+        )
+        list_of_directories = example_job._get_list_of_directories_to_check()
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(list_of_directories))
+        self.assertEqual(2, len(mock_check_path.mock_calls))
+
     @patch(
         "aind_data_upload_utils.check_directories_job.CheckDirectoriesJob."
         "_check_path"