Advisory Council
The Department of Social Work External Advisory Council is a voluntary and advisory body of leaders dedicated to supporting the success of social work students, faculty, and programs at The University of Texas at El Paso. The Council provides guidance to the Department about the needs of the community and offers recommendations for enhancing the educational experience to prepare students to effectively address these needs and be successful in their professional social work careers.
The External Advisory Council is a 25-member body composed of community members and representatives from diverse sectors, including mental health, education, health care, housing, recovery, child and family services, geriatric care, and military community settings.
COUNCIL MEMBERS
CHAIR
Christian Salas, LMSW
Associate Professor of Social Work, El Paso Community College
VICE CHAIR
Benjamin Miranda Jr., MEd, PMC, CMSgt (ret-USAF)
Corporate External Affairs Officer, Endeavors
COMMUNITY LIAISON
John Martin
Deputy Director, Opportunity Center for the Homeless
SECRETARY
Amber Perez
Executive Director, Borderland Rainbow Center
MEMBERSHIP
Amelia Leony-Carrete, MSSW, LCSW
Clint Independent School District, Private Practice
Other MEMBERS
Maria Flores
Director of Operations, HOME
Gilda Gil, MA
Chief Operations Officer, Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center
Rebecca Sanchez
Reg 9 & 10 FAD Supervisor, Child Protective Services
Jessica Perales
CPS Service Program and Regional Operations Support Administrator (SPA-ROSA), Child Protective Services
Guillermo Valenzuela
Chief Corporate Officer, Aliviane
Michele Aboud, CHPCA
Executive Director, Three Oaks Hospice
Dr. Bertha Verónica Martínez Flores
Coordinadora de la Maestría en Trabajo Social, Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Administración, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez
Salvador Balcorta, MSSW
CEO, Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Inc.
Rosa I. Flores, MSW
Director, UTEP Office of Scholarships
Maria Covernali Ortiz, CCHW
Executive Director, Familias Triunfadoras, Inc.
Dr. Roberto Flores, MD
Psychiatrist, Mind Forward Health Center
Areli Guajardo, LCSW
Transcending Counseling
Rachel Quintanilla, LMSW
Chief Behavioral Health Officer, Project Vida Health Center
Ryan Jackson
Director, UTEP Military Student Success Center
Lorey Gonzales-Flores
Program Manager Community Services Department, Office of New Americans
Yvette Lugo, LMSW
Director, Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging
Lydia Hernandez-Morera, LMSW
Family Intervention Specialist, El Paso Independent School District
Alfonso Ibarra, BBA, BSN, MHA, RN
Director of Care Management, University Medical Center (UMC)
Bethany Rivera Molinar
Executive Director, Ciudad Nueva
Elizabeth Palyu, LCSW-S
Director of Social Services at Sacred Connections, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Behavioral Health Division
Ex Officio
