UTEP Administrator to Chair El Paso’s Emergence Health Network Board
Last Updated on March 23, 2021 at 12:00 AM
Originally published March 23, 2021
By Daniel Perez
UTEP Communications
Emergence Health Network (EHN) announced recently that its Board of Trustees had elected as its chair The University of Texas at El Paso’s Rick Myer, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Services.
EHN is El Paso County’s authority on issues of mental health and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Myer has been on the agency’s board since 2016.
Myer said among his goals is to work with the EHN administrative team to assess how the agency can collaborate with peer providers around the community to enhance how services are offered.
“Through this networking effort, I hope accessibility to services can be improved,” said Myer, who also wants to identify and fill any service gaps.
Of his board accomplishments during the past five years, he is most proud of his work as chair of the board’s planning and development committee, where he played a key role to improve the distribution of services. One example was the creation of a screening method that sped up the delivery of EHN services to consumers. He also helped create the Crisis Intervention Team for the El Paso Police Department.
“My past experience in this area gave me the knowledge to help shape the training process for law enforcement officers to understand and interact with consumers with mental health issues,” he said.
Myer, an internationally recognized expert in the field of crisis management, is widely known for his Triage Assessment System that is used by agencies throughout the world. He is a well-published author who has co-written a new book about the application of ethical principles in the middle of crisis intervention services. The new book will be released in late 2021.
He said his association with EHN has enhanced the agency’s lines of communication with UTEP and has led to more practicum and internship opportunities for students from the colleges of Education and Health Services. In addition, EHN staff now teach as adjunct professors in both colleges.
Clifton Tanabe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education, congratulated Myer for his selection to this “extremely influential position.” He said Myer is a leader whose presence benefits the University and the community.
Myer has served in higher education for more than 34 years, as well as clinical settings such as acute care psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities and college counseling centers.
