Updates From Meridell

What an exciting year 2013 is starting out to be for Meridell Achievement Center! We want to thank everyone who took time and consideration in selecting the Top 110 Schools and Programs- what a honor for Meridell to be amongst those on the list. Thank you to everyone for the confidence you have put in us.

But that is just one of the exciting things happening for Meridell this year. In January of this year, Mark Richards was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Meridell Achievement Center.

Mark graduated with his Masters in Clinical Psychology in 1988. He began his professional career as a therapist and soon expanded into an operations management position with Cigna Managed Behavioral Care. In 1992 he became Vice President at Marillac Center, a residential treatment center. During his 20-years at Marillac, Mark grew the agency from a 38 bed child RTC, to an 84 bed psychiatric residential treatment center for children up to age 18. He oversaw the creation of a 44-bed acute care hospital for children and adolescents, and forged a relationship with the University of Kansas Medical School to relocate its teaching hospital for child and adolescent psychiatry to Marillac.

Mark has extensive experience with public-private collaborations and has sat on a number of Boards of Directors providing his expertise in creating mental health systems of care for persons of all ages with mental illness. This experience led to his election to several local public councils and the appointment to two Governor's Mental Health councils.

In 2012, Mark joined Universal Health Services, Inc. at Austin Lakes Hospital, an adult behavioral health continuum of in- and outpatient services.

Mark has networked with education consultants and therapeutic schools through IECA and NATSAP. He looks forward to expanding these relationships at Meridell.

Some of you may have noticed we have a "new voice" in admissions. We welcome Jennifer Young, LPC-I, to her new role as an admissions clinician. Jennifer began working at Meridell in 2008 as a youth care counselor, a life guard in the summer months as the residents enjoyed the pool and tried to beat the Texas heat, and then moved in to testing as a psychometrist. She then attended graduate school at Texas State University and received her Master's In Counseling. Jennifer now is enjoying her new role in admissions and her clinician background will allow us to expand some of her responsibilities to a more clinical realm.

And the changes do not end there. Many of you have had the pleasure of working with Marsha Whited, admissions coordinator for 10 + years. Marsha received a much deserved promotion to Health Information Manager. In this new role, she will handle all of your medical record requests so she is looking forward to still being able to work with all of you.

Please join us as we celebrate our changes and look forward to the year of 2013!

Meridell Achievement Center is a private Residential Treatment Center (RTC), located on a 63-acre ranch-style campus in Liberty Hill, Texas, 35 miles northwest of Austin. We specialize in psychiatry and neuropsychiatry for children (5-11) and adolescents (12-17).