Laura Merola

Laura Merola, LPC, joined the Meadows Institute with fourteen years of experience in community mental health practice, research, program development, and leadership. She is passionate about mental health system transformation to better meet the needs of young people, improving prevention and early intervention efforts, and translating research to practice.

Laura began her career providing direct services to young people involved with the juvenile justice system and their families. Prior to joining the Institute, Laura was Assistant Director of Clinical Excellence for UT Austin Dell Medical School, where she oversaw the Center for Youth Mental Health’s clinical vision and led clinical operations and strategy for Amplify Center, an innovative integrated care clinic designed to effectively intervene in mental health challenges that develop in adolescence and young adulthood.

In her role at the Meadows Institute, Laura contributes to the many youth and young adult focused, cross systems initiatives the Center for Child and Family Wellness is leading. She serves in a clinical and leadership role specifically on work impacting Youth Crisis Outreach Teams, justice involved youth, and in higher education.

Laura received her Masters in Counseling from Vanderbilt University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. She lives in Austin with her husband, Frank, and son, Vincent (and two dogs).