Tim Talks: Behavioral Health

What does it take to build ABA programs that create lasting independence for learners? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Stacey Shook, PhD , Director of Northwest Behavioral Associates, to discuss what she's learned from more than 25 years in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Stacey shares how delivering services across clinics, homes, schools,...

What does it take to grow an ABA organization for more than a decade without losing sight of the mission? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Jennifer Helten , CEO and Founder of Unique Pathways, to discuss the leadership principles that have helped her scale a thriving ABA organization while staying committed to children, families, and meaningful outcomes....

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Justin Chase, CEO of Solari, Inc., to discuss what it truly takes to build behavioral health crisis systems that save lives. Justin shares lessons from leading one of the nation's largest crisis response organizations, including the importance of seamless care transitions, maintaining culture during rapid growth, and...

On this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim sits down with Jeremy Schall, CEO of Scottsdale Behavioral Health, to discuss the powerful intersection of behavioral health, recovery, and justice reform. Jeremy shares his deeply personal journey from being a defendant and patient within the justice system to becoming a leader dedicated to helping justice-impacted individuals rebuild their li...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Dr. R. Nicolle Carr to discuss some of the biggest ethical and access challenges facing the ABA field today. Dr. Carr shares her unexpected journey into behavior analysis, why ethical decision-making often lives in the gray areas rather than the textbook, and how providers can better prepare clinicians for the realities o...

What role do families play in addiction treatment success? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Carolyn Bradfield, Founder & CEO of Pathroot Health, to discuss why family engagement may be one of the most overlooked factors in treatment retention and recovery outcomes. Drawing from both professional experience and her personal journey as the parent of a...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Dr. Tara Chalakani, CEO of Preferred Behavioral Health Group, to discuss what it takes to lead and grow a mission-driven behavioral health organization. Drawing on more than three decades of healthcare leadership experience, Dr. Chalakani shares lessons on building a strong organizational culture, staying anchored to your...

What does it take to build an ABA organization where people actually stay? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Timothy Zercher sits down with Armon Aghaie, CEO of Unity Behavioral Services, to discuss leadership, culture, retention, and the future of ABA. After spending a decade scaling technology companies, Armon made the decision to leave the tech world and pursue a mission centered...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Tim Zercher sits down with Rachelle and Avi Wisotsky of RightWay ABA to discuss what it takes to build an ABA organization the right way. Rachelle brings the clinical heart as a BCBA, while Avi brings the operational and business strategy needed to scale. Together, they share how personal connection, caregiver involvement, clinical excellence, and c...

What does it take to grow a healthcare organization while staying focused on the people it serves? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Timothy Zercher sits down with Steven Schiff, Chairman of the Board at East Texas Community Clinic, to discuss leadership, growth, and the power of relationships in healthcare. Steven shares how his background in global sales, marketing, and entreprene...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Ericka Braggs, Founder of Shape Our Village and co-author of the A Million Possibilities caregiver training curriculum. Drawing from her background as a school counselor and BCBA, Ericka shares why some of the most effective ABA interventions begin by listening before teaching. She discusses the importance of cultural...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Timothy Zercher sits down with Shannon Werb, CEO of Array Behavioral Care, to discuss the evolution of virtual behavioral health and why the industry's focus is shifting from access to outcomes. Shannon shares how Array is leveraging technology, data, and clinical expertise to demonstrate measurable patient improvement at scale. He explains why...

What does it take to grow an ABA organization without sacrificing culture, quality, or clinical excellence? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Diana Wolf, Co-CEO of Verbal Beginnings, to discuss the realities of scaling an ABA organization the right way. Diana shares why many providers struggle when they focus on headcount and expansion before buildi...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Timothy Zercher sits down with Joy Pendola, Chief Clinical Officer at McCall Behavioral Health Network, to discuss what it really takes to balance clinical excellence with operational demands in behavioral healthcare. Joy shares her journey into the field, the leadership lessons she's learned over nearly three decades, and why quality care shou...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Zoe Huppman, Human Resource Business Partner at Chimes, to talk about what behavioral health organizations often miss when it comes to retention, hiring, and staff support. Zoe shares her perspective as both a former RBT and current HR leader, highlighting why organizations need to stop simply “filling bodies” and start c...

What does real buy-in actually look like in behavioral health? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Dr. Monica Gilbert to unpack one of the biggest misconceptions in the field: compliance is not the same as commitment. Dr. Gilbert shares why clinicians often mistake attendance and agreement for true engagement - and how that gap leads to burnout, stalled...

What if we’ve been treating the wrong problem in healthcare? On this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Dr. Beth DuPree, a breast cancer surgeon turned integrative medicine leader, to explore why traditional medicine often misses the most important part of healing - the mind. With over 35 years in medicine, Dr. DuPree shares how her experience with cancer pati...

What actually breaks when behavioral health organizations try to scale? In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Chris Seigel to unpack the real operational challenges behind growth, leadership, and AI in behavioral health. Chris shares his journey from clinician to system builder—and why outcomes aren’t just driven by clinical skill, but by the systems s...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Lew Zeidner, CEO of EOSIS, to talk about what it really takes to lead and scale behavioral health organizations. Lew shares why so many great ideas fail in execution, the importance of involving frontline staff in decision-making, and how leaders can close the gap between strategy and day-to-day operations. He also...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Paradise Leuta to discuss how ABA can evolve into a more compassionate, culturally aware, and client-centered practice. Paradise shares her personal journey into the field, why creating safe environments matters, and how providers can better serve families by understanding culture, belonging, and real-world needs....

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Jason Dana Costa, CEO of Horizon Pharmacy, to explore how medication management is transforming outcomes in behavioral health, long-term care, and aging populations. Jason shares why taking the right medication at the right time can prevent hospitalizations, lower healthcare costs, and improve quality of life. He a...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Nick Klinkefus, Founder and CEO of Great Day ABA. Nick shares why he launched a home-based ABA company built around staff support, strong culture, and ethical care. They dive into one of the biggest challenges in behavioral health today: burnout. Nick explains how high turnover impacts clinicians, families, and servic...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy Zercher sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Matthews, CEO of EMG Consulting and President of VirginiaABA, for a powerful conversation on leadership, quality care, and the future of ABA services. Liz shares how she built her organization to remove bureaucracy and make high-quality behavioral support more accessible for families who need it most. Sh...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Timothy A. Zercher sits down with Noah Goldstein, Founder & CEO of House of Hearts ABA. Noah shares how hands-on experience in the special needs community inspired him to launch a fast-growing ABA organization built on compassion, urgency, and high-touch care. They discuss what it means to create a white-glove family experience, why speed and c...

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health , Tim Zercher sits down with Dominique Shorter-Taylor, BCBA, founder of Shorter-Taylor Behavior Consulting, speaker, mentor, and creator known for her unique perspective as both a clinician and autism mom. Dominique shares how that lived experience shaped the way she serves families, supervises clinicians, and approaches social validity in ABA. She a...