Steven A. Rugala, Ph.D. has been selected as the new Director of the Counseling, Assistance, and Referral Services (CARS), the employee assistance program for faculty and staff at the University of New Mexico. For the last eight months, he served as the Interim Director of CARS. He has directed clinical programs at CARS, Albuquerque Family and Child Guidance Center, and the New Mexico Department of Corrections.
In addition to working in employee assistance, Rugala has a wide range of clinical experience providing group and individual counseling in a variety of settings, which include: university counseling centers, community mental health, long-term care facilities, hospice organizations, and correctional facilities. Previously, he worked in the business world for 19 years as a computer programmer and systems analyst.
Rugala is a licensed psychologist in the state of New Mexico. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the APA accredited Counseling Psychology program at New Mexico State University and completed an APA accredited predoctoral internship at the Counseling and Psychological Services Center at Ball State University. He also received a Master of Education degree in Counseling and Development from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from The George Washington University.
His goals as the director of CARS are to extend the recent progress in enhancing visibility within the University community; continue to explore new opportunities for partnering with other entities in service to the University; provide increased services in preventive care to facilitate healthy work-life balance; and contribute to the promotion of a culture of wellness within the University.
Media Contact: Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu