Tim Talks: Behavioral Health

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Ruel Dixon joins host Timothy A. Zercher to share his journey from case management to becoming a BCBA and business owner. Ruel discusses the key differences between working in public school systems and private practice, the importance of ethical leadership, and what inspired him to launch his own company. He also breaks down how reputation, communi...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Kelly Ferris, Owner and Clinical Services Supervisor at Organization for Research and Learning (O.R.L.). With nearly two decades of leadership experience, Kelly shares valuable insights on autism intervention, communication strategies, clinical operations, and building high-quality behavioral health services that crea...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Jacqueline Lerma, a school psychologist, behavior specialist, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping children and families thrive. Jacqueline shares how she built a continuum of care that bridges therapy, education, advocacy, and early intervention services for children with autism and developmental needs. She also...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t the market, your competition, or your circumstances… but your own mind? On this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Dr. Ashley Smith to explore how high performers can break through fear, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs. Dr. Ashley shares how her personal journey with progressive vision loss shaped her mindse...

What does great care actually look like in behavioral health today? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Rachel Evans, CEO of Old Town ABA, to break down what it really takes to build a high-quality, sustainable organization in the ABA space. Rachel shares how her personal connection to autism shaped her path into the field - and how that perspective inf...

What does it really take to create impact in behavioral health beyond just growth? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Zeeshan Ali, Deputy Executive Director at Apna Ghar, Inc., to unpack how behavioral analysis principles can shape not just individuals, but entire organizations and communities. Zeeshan shares how his early experiences in immigrant communit...

What does it really take to scale in behavioral health… without losing what makes you effective in the first place? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Nicholas Stavros, CEO of Community Medical Services, to break down what sustainable growth actually looks like in the substance use treatment space. Nick shares how CMS grew from just 6 clinics to over 8...

What actually drives real change in behavioral health? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Clint Hardy, Clinical Therapist and Owner of Hardy Behavioral Health, to unpack what truly helps clients move forward. Clint shares how his personal journey into behavioral health shaped his career, and why lasting change is less about external pressure and more a...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim sits down with Nicholas Hilligoss, a human resources leader bringing a unique perspective to the behavioral health space. Nick shares how his early frontline experience working directly with individuals shaped the way he now supports teams, emphasizing empathy, feedback, and perspective-taking as core leadership skills. The conversation dives i...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Frances Pereira, behavior analyst, OBM consultant, and founder of Quantum Outcomes, to explore how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can go far beyond traditional clinical settings. Frances shares her journey into the field and breaks down a powerful idea: behavior is behavior , no matter the environment. From improving...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Mike Lifshotz to talk about the real role compliance plays in behavioral health growth, operations, and long-term value. Mike shares how he entered the field, what he learned through the acquisition of Hatch Compliance by Kipu Health, and why compliance should be seen as more than a regulatory checkbox. He explains how th...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Steven Merahn, MD , physician executive, author, and advocate for more human-centered systems of care. Dr. Merahn shares how his early work in pediatrics and child development shaped his approach to integrated care, and why truly effective treatment must go beyond siloed disciplines and clinical dashboards. Together,...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Kristyn Peterson, PhD, BCBA, LBA, LSSMBB , behavioral scientist, OBM leader, and Interim Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Zendicoded INC. Kristyn shares how she found behavior analysis by accident, why she pivoted into organizational behavior management, and what she has learned working at the intersection...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Jason Barker , Chief Executive Officer of ICBD and ABA Centers , to talk about what it really takes to grow autism services the right way. Jason shares how he found his way back into behavioral health after decades in healthcare leadership, why ABA Centers created its BCBA apprenticeship program, and how his team thin...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Moishe Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer at The Treetop ABA , to talk about what really drives growth in multi-location behavioral health organizations. Moishe breaks down why most healthcare marketing systems fail, how disconnected teams create wasted spend and frustrated families, and why the real opportunity is not...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim sits down with Dov Berman, Chief Financial Officer at NewVista Behavioral Health , to discuss the financial and operational realities of growing a behavioral health organization while maintaining high-quality patient care. Dov shares how he entered the behavioral health space and how financial leadership plays a critical role in supporting pati...

How is AI changing the way ABA professionals work? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Veronica Medina , Board Certified Behavior Analyst and consultant at The ABA Proyect, to discuss how technology and cultural awareness are reshaping behavioral health. Veronica shares how she unexpectedly entered the field of behavior analysis and how her work now spa...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Kamila Iacob, M.A., BCBA, LBA , Co-Founder of MentraTrack , to talk about one of the biggest challenges in ABA today: fieldwork supervision systems that track hours but miss everything else that matters. Kamila shares how her experience in supervision revealed major gaps in visibility, feedback, competency tracking, and a...

Technology is rapidly transforming behavioral health and ABA services - but is it actually helping clinicians deliver better care? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Melissa Kozak , BCBA, founder of Kozak Consulting and Clinical Partnership Consultant at Therapprove. With nearly 20 years of experience across schools, clinics, homes, and community settings,...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, host Tim Zercher sits down with Nick Chappell, Co-CEO and Founder of Verbal Beginnings, a leading provider of home-based and center-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nick shares his journey from direct work with children and families to co-founding Verbal Beginnings in 2011 alongside Diana Wolf...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, host Timothy Zercher speaks with Matt Cicoria, Consultant and Founder of Positive Behavioral Outcomes, LLC, and the Producer & Host of the widely popular Behavioral Observations Podcast - one of the most downloaded shows in behavior analysis with millions of listens over nearly a decade. Matt shares key insights from hosting long-form interviews...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim sits down with Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni, a globally recognized thought leader, behavior analyst, and former Golden Gloves champion, to explore how behavioral science can transform leadership, organizations, and even combat sports. Paul shares practical insights from his decades of experience applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) pri...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , host Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Jaime Vinck, President of Meadows Behavioral Health, to explore leadership, innovation, and growth in the behavioral health space. Jaime shares her journey from HR professional to clinical leader, the transformative approach to treating co-occurring disorders and trauma, and how she is driving meaningful chang...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Taylor Cowan, M.Ed., Vice President of Business Development at Chancelight Behavioral Health, Therapy & Education, to unpack the real challenges districts face when serving students with intensive behavioral and special education needs. Taylor shares his journey from pre-K teacher and school administrator to building...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim sits down with Isaac L. Bermudez, BCBA, Chief Innovation Officer at Brett DiNovi & Associates, to explore leadership, innovation, and marketing in the behavioral health and ABA space. Isaac shares his journey into ABA, the unconventional “entrepreneurial approach” he teaches leaders, and key mindset shifts that help teams thrive in high-sta...