• Kelly Clark headshot

    Kelly Clark

    Chief Financial Officer

    Kelly joined the Meridell leadership team in May 2025 as Chief Financial Officer, bringing a strong background in healthcare finance, business analytics, and operational strategy. Born and raised in Texas, Kelly has spent her career supporting healthcare organizations in achieving both their financial goals and their mission of improving patient outcomes. Prior to joining Meridell, Kelly served in senior finance leadership roles within healthcare management organizations. She earned her master’s degree in finance from Texas A&M University, complementing her expertise in revenue cycle management, payer contracting, and data-driven decision-making, with a proven record of optimizing resources to enhance quality of care. She is passionate about creating sustainable systems that allow clinicians to focus on what matters most—patient care.

  • Wendy Hercliff headshot

    Wendy Hercliff

    Director of Admissions

    Wendy has been a board approved Licensed Clinical Social Work Supervisor for over 13 years and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor for over 5 years and has practiced in the field of social work for almost 30 years both on a bachelor degree level as well as a master degree level.   She has been with Meridell Achievement Center since 2007, first as a contract Therapist, then as a Clinical Community Liaison and was promoted to Director of Admissions in 2022. Wendy loves working with her team to advocate for each family seeking treatment as well as serving as the “middle ground” between community providers, families and our facility through the admission process.

  • Cynthia Dupre, LPC headshot

    Cynthia Dupre, LPC

    Director of Utilization Management

    Cynthia has been a Licensed Professional Counselor for 15 years. She earned her Master’s Degree in Counselor Education from Florida Atlantic University in 2004. She has been with Meridell Achievement Center since 2014. She started here as a PRN Therapist. She then moved into a PRN Utilization Review position before becoming a full time Utilization Review Coordinator. Cynthia was promoted to Director of Utilization Management in 2022. Cynthia and her team work as a liaison between the treatment team and the insurance company in order to get medically necessary treatment for patients. Cynthia likes being able to advocate for patients and their families so that they can get the treatment that they need to be successful at home.

  • Bryan West headshot

    Bryan West

    Director of Plant Operations

    Bryan graduated from Sam Houston state University in 1985 with a BS Degree. He was General Manager for Wyatts Cafeteria for 8 years before relocating to the Hill Country from Houston. He then served as a Director for Extendicare Health Corporation until he joined the Meridell team in 2009. Bryan spends his personal time on a family farm and is an avid hunter and part time hunting guide.

  • Morgan Starr, LCSW headshot

    Morgan Starr, LCSW

    Clinical Manager

    Morgan has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years and and recently earned her license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work with a combined tract of clinical and administrative leadership from Texas State University in 2017. She has been with Meridell Achievement Center since 2020 as a program therapist on the neurobehavioral units. She then moved into a discharge planning/case management role before being promoted into clinical/administrative leadership in 2022. Morgan supports the clinical team by overseeing the therapeutic and clinical programming and services of the Neurobehavioral Program. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her spouse and 3 boys by being active outdoors, coaching their sports teams, and even enjoying video games with them.

  • Todd Dugas, LCSW headshot

    Todd Dugas, LCSW

    Director of Clinical Services

    Todd has over 28 years of leadership experience in behavioral health company startups, addictive disorders and co-occurring program development, initial licensure and annual audits. He is passionate about creating effective clinical and organizational models of high integrity. Integrating organizational systems and pairing business and service delivery has always been of interest his.

  • Sandy Wier headshot

    Sandy Wier

    Business Office Manager

    Sandy has functioned as the Business Office Manager at Meridell Achievement Center since 2001. Sandy provides financial counseling to families to assure they get the maximum benefit of treatment based on their financial means. Sandy also serves as a liaison between families and their insurance company to assure that all options are navigated. Sandy has over 40 years’ experience in Business Office Management.

  • Glenn Scruggs headshot

    Glenn Scruggs

    Director of RM/PI/CC

    Glenn Scruggs has served in child welfare for the past 30+ years. He is a tireless advocate for vulnerable children with a passion for engaging the community and empowering those who serve alongside him. He is a dually licensed administrator in the State of Texas as he holds both a Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator’s License and a Licensed Child Care Administrator’s License. Glenn graduated from UMHB with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Religion in 1996. He has worked at Cedar Crest Psychiatric Hospital, the Texas Youth Commission, Texas Baptist Children’s Home, foster care and served in various bi-vocational ministry roles during his career.

    Prior to Meridell, Glenn led Giocosa Foster Care and Adoption Services, first as the Chief Operating Officer from 2008-2016 and then as the Chief Executive Officer from 2016- 2022 before retiring from the foster care industry and joining Meridell Achievement Center as the Director of Risk Management, Performance Improvement and Corporate Compliance. Glenn also serves as the Campus Administrator at Meridell.

    Glenn has served on The Texas Foster Care Redesign Public Private Partnership and Committee for Advancing Residential Practices (CARP) Committees which are appointed by the Commissioner of The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for many years. Glenn has also served as a Board Member for the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services and as a board member for the Texas Child Protection Roundtable.

    Glenn has two amazing children who are both adults. Glenn enjoys playing pickleball, hanging out with friends at various venues and watching college football.

    “I am excited about this chapter in my career. I look forward to serving the patients and staff at Meridell as a servant leader that focuses on ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone on our campus.”

  • Eric Balvantin headshot

    Eric Balvantin

    Director of Business Development

    Eric Balvantin joined Meridell Achievement Center in 2022 and has been within Universal Health Services since 2011. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Arlington 2009 and began his marketing and communications career early on with some direct marketing and business-to-business sales before starting his career in healthcare. He worked his way through many roles in an acute care facility within UHS, starting in direct care as a Driver for an Outpatient Services Department, Mental Health Technician, Patient Advocate, Outpatient Liaison, Community Liaison, and now Director of Business Development. He acquired his MBA from Bellevue University in 2019. Over the last 12 years, Eric broadened his professional experience within the healthcare field in roles spanning from marketing and sales to operations management. In his free time, Eric enjoys travel, working out and smoking Texas BBQ for friends and family.

  • Marie Brown headshot

    Marie Brown

    Business Development Representative

    Marie Brown serves as National Business Development Representative for Meridell Achievement Center, UHS Corp. Marie has over 30 years of experience in working with children and families in a wide variety of mental health settings. She has worked for Child Protective Services in the State of Texas, several non-profit foster home agencies, a local Public Health Department and several residential treatment facilities for adolescents and teens in Texas. She continues to be committed to ensuring that people have the resources to make appropriate decisions to live an active and healthy lifestyle.

    Marie has dedicated her professional and personal career to advocacy, service and empowerment. She is committed to serving as a voice for the voiceless, advocating for the rights of children and promoting the value of education to all. She always views the glass as half full because she believes everyone and everything in life can mature and grow to raise the glass to full.

    Marie has served on the boards of the Baylor Line Foundation, formerly the Baylor Alumni Association, West Dallas Community School, Lewisville ISD School Advisory Board, Denton ISD School Health Advisory Committee and she currently serves as the President of the Baylor Black Alumni Alliance.

    Marie earned an Associates Degree in Natural Sciences from Tyler Junior College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Baylor University and Master of Education from Texas Woman’s University.

    Marie enjoys spending time with friends and family, her 9 Godchildren and travelling. She is also member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.

  • Rachel Redmond headshot

    Rachel Redmond

    Community Liaison

    Rachel Redmond serves as a Community Liaison at Meridell Achievement Center, where she helps professionals and families navigate the process of seeking Mental Health Treatment for children and adolescents. Rachel comes to Meridell with over 15 years of healthcare experience in various treatment settings, including direct care and the non-profit space. She went to school for Healthcare Sciences and Musical Theatre locally in Dallas, Texas. In her spare time Rachel enjoys spending time with her family, activities outdoors like biking and hiking, and all Texas Sports teams.

  • Jessica Taylor headshot

    Jessica Taylor

    Community Liaison

    Jessica started as a community liaison for Meridell Achievement Center in 2023.  She has a background in medical sales and business development. Jessica obtained her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 2000 and is attending grad school for her master’s in clinical psychology. She enjoys design, architecture, nature, and animals.

  • Monica Garza headshot

    Monica Garza

    Executive Assistant

    Monica is an Executive Assistant with over 15 years in the administrative field.  She has extensive experience with all administrative tasks, including scheduling and correspondence.  Monica’s extensive experience in business and healthcare contributes to her job knowledge  and hard work every day in her role supporting staff and patient families alike for Meridell Achievement Center.

  • Samina Ibad, M.D. headshot

    Samina Ibad, M.D.

    Medical Director

    M.D. Degree:
    Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan
    General Psychiatry Residency:
    Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, NY
    Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship:
    Austin Medical Education Program of Seton Health Care Network, Austin, TX
    Board Certification Child and Adolescent Psychiatry:
    Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

    Dr. Samina Ibad is board-certified in both Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She graduated from Dow Medical College in 1995 and trained in Adult Psychiatry at Nassau University Medical Center, Long Island, New York. There she also served as the Chief Resident of her program. Dr. Ibad later did her fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Austin Medical Education programs. She has an extensive experience working in Community mental health settings serving as a Senior Staff Psychiatrist. She joined Meridell in 2019 and has been serving as the Medical Director of the Ranch House Unit. Dr Ibad is a member of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Texas Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Austin Psychiatric Association.

  • Katrijn Wilson, MD headshot

    Katrijn Wilson, MD

    Medical Director

    M.D. Degree:
    West Virginia University, School of Medicine, Morgantown, West Virginia

    Psychiatry Residency Program:
    University  of Kentucky School of Medicine, Kentucky

    Child Fellow Program:
    University of Kentucky school of Medicine, Kentucky

    Board Certification Child and Adolescent Psychiatry:
    American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

    Dr. Wilson completed a combined Adult & Child Psychiatry residency/fellowship at University of Kentucky in 2011.  This training instilled the importance of comprehensive treatment of children, in context of development and importance of psychological and social factors affecting psychiatric presentation.  She has practiced in various outpatient and residential settings, and values interdisciplinary teams and incorporating family into the treatment of the patient.  Her free time is devoted to caring for her three children and various house pets, who all love living in Texas where outdoor activities can happen all year!

  • Jaspreet Hans, M.D. headshot

    Jaspreet Hans, M.D.

    Psychiatrist

    Dr. Hans is a board-certified Psychiatrist. She is a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine. She completed her Adult Psychiatry Residency, followed by Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) in NY, where she also served as the Chief Resident. She is active member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

    Dr. Hans has a particular passion for working with children and teens. She believes that every child deserves care tailored to their unique strengths and needs. With expertise spanning Mood disorders, Anxiety disorders, ADHD, Trauma-Related Conditions, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Dr. Hans integrates evidence-based psychopharmacology with a compassionate, individualized approach to care. She enjoys working closely with families, therapists, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure treatment is developmentally-sensitive, culturally-informed, and focused on long-term recovery and resilience.

    Outside of her clinical work, Dr. Hans enjoys staying active through Pilates, exploring new cuisines, and travelling. After relocating from New York to Texas, she has loved discovering all that Texas has to offer and spending quality time with her family.

     

  • Jigar Patel, M.D. headshot

    Jigar Patel, M.D.

    Medical Director

    Dr. Patel is board-certified Psychiatrist. Dr Patel pursued his Medical College in Gujarat University in India and afterwards, he completed General residency in Texas Tech, Midland – Texas. Dr Patel has a passion to help young minds flourish and to provide specialize psychiatric care for child, adolescents, and adults. He trained at the UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas and is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Texas Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Austin Psychiatric Association. Dr. Patel has 2 young kids and enjoys spending time with family.

     

  • Barbara Matthews, Ph.D. headshot

    Barbara Matthews, Ph.D.

    Clinical Psychologist

    Dr. Matthews earned her doctorate in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant University in 1993 and became licensed in Texas in 1994. Her post- doctoral training was in a psychiatric hospital that treated adolescents and adults.  She was in private practice in Big Spring Texas from 1995 to 2015 and specialized in adolescent/adult psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and treatment of traumatic stress. From 1994 to 2000 she was a staff psychologist at the Big Spring State Hospital and ran an animal-assisted therapy program.  She has been conducting psychological evaluations at Meridell since 2018.  Dr. Matthews has extensive experience with trauma informed treatment as well as with diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD.  She loves animals and believes they can be great therapists. At home she enjoys hiking, photography, fitness, and spending time with her family, including her Border Collie and cats.