Staff members at San Marcos Treatment Center are highly trained and experienced. We provide a 40-hour orientation, and staff with direct care contact and responsibility are required to complete at least 50 hours of training each year. This includes clinical therapists, nurses, mental health associates and other professionals.

We provide access to online training modules designed to keep skills sharp. There is extensive longevity across all areas at the facility with many staff having been part of the team for 10, 20 and even 30 years. We are committed to making a difference in the lives of children and families we serve.

If you are interested in becoming a member of our staff, browse through our open positions.

Andrew Herod – Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Herod comes to San Marcos Treatment Center with over 16+ years in behavioral health leadership having directed community mental health and residential treatment centers in Tennessee, California and most recently Willow Springs Center in Reno, Nevada, who last year was one of three facilities to be honored by Universal Health Services with the Quality Award. Andrew has a degree in Communications from Biola University and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Fuller Theological School of Psychology. He has three boys with his wife Jessica and is an avid NBA and soccer fan.

Gregory Wysocki, CPA – Chief Financial Officer

Gregory Wysocki, CPA is the Chief Financial Officer of San Marcos Treatment Center (SMTC). Mr Wysocki joined SMTC in 2019 and has 7+ years of CFO experience with Universal Health Services, the parent company of SMTC. He is responsible for all aspects of the facility’s financial and accounting operations.

Mr. Wysocki has 25 years of finance experience in the health care industry including 23 years in the behavioral health industry. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The University of Texas – Austin.

Tushar Desai, MD – Executive Medical Director

Tushar Desai, M.D. is the Executive Medical Director of San Marcos Treatment Center. He supervises the medical and treatment teams at the facility, and also directly treats patients in his care on our inpatient units. Dr. Desai is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry as well as adult psychiatry.

Dr. Desai worked at San Marcos for 16 years as an attending psychiatrist before assuming the role of Executive Medical Director. He completed his psychiatry residency, as well as his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, with the Austin psychiatric residency program in 1994. He is dedicated to treating at-risk youth in the community, and in addition to his many years of experience treating children in the foster care system, he has served in the past as Medical Director at the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

John Rust, M.D. – Unit Medical Director

John Rust, M.D. is a Unit Medical Director at San Marcos Treatment Center. In his role he directly oversees the treatment of patients in his care on our New Heights unit. Dr. Rust is a licensed Psychiatrist.

Dr. Rust graduated from the UT Medical Branch-Galveston in 1973 and is licensed in Texas. He has been with San Marcos Treatment Center for almost 32 years and has effectively treated patients with a wide variety of diagnoses.

Johnnie Fisher, M.D. – Unit Medical Director

Johnnie Fisher, M.D. is a Unit Medical Director at San Marcos Treatment Center. In this role he directly oversees the treatment of patients in his care on our Clearview and Gateway units.

Dr. Fisher graduated from the UT Medical Branch-Galveston in 1970, and was licensed in Texas the same year. He previously worked at hospitals in San Antonio and Victoria, Texas. He is board certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Shephali Sharma, M.D. – Unit Medical Director

Shephali Sharma, M.D. has served as a Unit Medical Director at San Marcos Treatment Center since 2017. In this role she directly oversees the treatment of patients assigned to her care on our Springhill and Gateway units. She is board certified in Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Sharma completed her residency at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in New York, and was licensed in Texas in 2013. She previously worked at Cedar Crest Hospital as Medical Director.

Winston Chieza, RN – Director of Nursing

Ragan Aaron, LPC-S, RPT-S, CCTP, TBRI Practitioner – Director of Clinical Services

As Director of Clinical Services, Ragan Aaron is responsible for the facility’s clinical therapists and the therapeutic treatment delivered to patients. This includes individual, family and group therapy as well as ROPES and other activities.

Ragan began as a Mental Health Associate at the treatment center while studying psychology at Texas State during her undergraduate career. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree, Ragan returned to the treatment center and began working as a Clinical Therapist. She continued expanding her education as she became a Registered Play Therapist, a TBRI Practitioner, and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Ragan has presented at a number of state and regional conferences on topics including trauma-informed care, family play therapy, and integrating experiential and expressive interventions into family therapy.

Lex Ticer – Director of Risk Management

Lex Ticer is the Director of Risk Management, responsible for analyzing incident data and identifying trends to maximize patient safety. He is also the facility’s Compliance Officer. Lex has been with the facility since 2018, first as a direct care staff and later in a supervisory role. He is a Texas native, and received a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Wayland Baptist University. He is a Licensed Child Care Administrator in the State of Texas.

Sherri Gonzalez, MBA – Director of Business Development

Sherri Gonzalez has over 30 years of experience at San Marcos Treatment Center. In her current role as Director of Business Development, Sherri oversees marketing and strategic partnerships as well as leading the facility’s sales team. She leads her staff on effective targeting and messaging, anticipating market changes, building strong referral relationships, tracking sales cycles, and effectively managing sales territories. She also manages the hospital’s relationship with insurance companies, handling contracting, credentialing, and negotiating rate increases with all payers.

A native of Texas, she received her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1986 and her M.B.A. in 1996 from Texas State University.

David Tjandrasa, M. Ed. – Academic Program Director | Unit Director

David Tjandrasa began working at San Marcos Treatment Center in 2008 as a direct care staff, before transitioning to teaching at the facility’s contracted school. He returned to the facility as a Unit Manager in 2013 and was named the Unit Director and Academic Program Director in 2015.

As the Unit Director, Mr. Tjandrasa has direct oversight of direct care staff and patient care. His role as the Academic Program Director allows him to work directly with the facility’s school to assist with the needs of their staff and patients.

He grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2008 and completed his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership there in 2015.

Gilbert Sanchez – Director of Plant Operations | Safety Officer

Gilbert Sanchez has been working at San Marcos Treatment Center for over 40 years, beginning as a mental health associate in October of 1978. During the course of his employment he has served in various positions, and operates currently as the Director of Plant Operations. He oversees the facilities support services departments including facility administrative officers, maintenance and housekeeping. He also serves as the facility’s Safety Officer.

With a campus spanning 65 acres and 23 different buildings, Mr. Sanchez and his departments undertake the huge task of keeping the facility operational and within the standards and guidelines of numerous monitoring agencies and organizations. Since joining San Marcos, he has always approached his work with a “whatever it takes, can do” attitude.

Robin Cunningham – Director of Human Resources

Robin Cunningham supervises San Marcos Treatment Center’s human resources department. Ms. Cunningham is responsible for hiring, staff benefits and other related concerns. She is also the facility’s Service Excellence champion, trains new and current staff and maintains and promotes a culture of creating positive moments for patients and families.

Robert Rodriguez, M.S. Ed., BCBA, LCCA – Child Care Administrator | Behavioral Analyst

As Child Care Administrator, Robert Rodriguez is responsible for the facility’s compliance to all state regulations concerning child care operations. He is also the facility’s certified behavioral analyst and specializes in designing strategies and interactions to positively impact our patients on the milieu as well as skills and strategies patients can take back to their home communities.

Michael New – Director of Performance Improvement

Mike New is the Director of Performance Improvement for San Marcos Treatment Center. He joined the team in 2009. In his current role, Mike oversees data collection, analysis and organizational improvement efforts. He is also part of the facility’s administrative support team, handling practitioner contracts and credentialing.

An Austin native, Mike received his bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to San Marcos, he worked for over 10 years in environmental engineering, digital 3D contaminant modeling and archival research, as well as for the State of Texas in Law Enforcement Licensing.

Call us at 800-251-0059 for more details on our programs and insurance options. To make a referral, please call 800-848-9090.