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 the right systems and automation can reduce risk, improve patient care, strengthen operations, and even increase business value during mergers and acquisitions.

They also dig into leadership through growth, what it takes to build and scale something new in behavioral health, and why reputation, employee experience, and genuine human connection still matter most in winning new business.

This conversation is packed with practical insight for operators, founders, and leaders looking to grow stronger, smarter, and more sustainably in behavioral health.

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, they explore the difference between response and outcome, why care plans should be built around the person rather than the diagnosis, and what it really takes to create buy-in when redesigning care systems.

They also dive into the future of autism services, including why the field is at a critical turning point and how child-centered, developmentally informed care may reshape the way providers support autistic children and families.

This is a thoughtful conversation on leadership, integration, outcomes, and the human factor in behavioral health.

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 of behavioral science, process improvement, and software development. The conversation explores burnout in ABA, how better systems can reduce friction at work, what radical transparency looks like in leadership, and why curiosity beats hard selling when building business relationships.

They also discuss psychological safety, cross-functional team alignment, AI in the software space, and how small consultancies can stand out in competitive markets.

This episode is a sharp, practical conversation for leaders in behavioral health, ABA, and beyond who care about building better systems, stronger teams, and more sustainable growth.

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 thinks about scaling without compromising quality of care. He also breaks down the leadership challenges that come with growing across multiple markets, how ABA providers can earn trust in competitive regions, and why AI is quickly changing the future of digital marketing in autism care.

This is a practical conversation about growth, leadership, workforce development, and staying grounded in clinical excellence while expanding access to care.

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 just getting more leads, but getting families into care faster. He shares practical insights on speed to contact, lead-to-service conversion, operational visibility, and the balance between AI efficiency and human connection.

Moishe currently leads marketing and growth at The Treetop ABA, a multi-location ABA provider focused on helping children and families access high-quality care. Learn more about their work at http://thetreetop.com/

If you work in ABA, behavioral health, or healthcare growth, this conversation is packed with actionable ideas on building smarter systems, improving accountability, and creating marketing that actually supports better outcomes for families.

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 patient outcomes, staffing stability, and long-term sustainability. The conversation explores the importance of reliable data, strong leadership teams, and disciplined financial systems in an industry facing staffing shortages, payer challenges, and increasing demand for services.

Tim and Dov also discuss how finance intersects with marketing and business development, including why reputation and patient outcomes remain the strongest drivers of growth.

This episode offers practical insights for behavioral health executives, operators, and leaders working to build organizations that are both financially strong and mission-driven.

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 spans multiple organizations and international communities. The conversation explores the practical role AI is already playing in ABA, from streamlining documentation and communication to helping clinicians navigate language and cultural differences when working with families around the world.

They also dive into how Veronica built her consulting practice through word of mouth, social media, and community partnerships, as well as why culturally relevant education and Spanish-language resources are essential for the future of ABA.

This episode highlights how technology, culture, and community are coming together to expand access to behavioral health services globally.

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 audit readiness across organizations. She explains why disconnected systems like spreadsheets, PDFs, and email create risk for trainees, supervisors, and leadership teams, and how MentraTrack was built to bring structure, compliance, and real-time oversight to the process.

They also discuss what organic growth looks like for a software company in the ABA space, why trust and product quality matter more than paid ads, and how AI can be used responsibly to improve supervision and skill development.

If you are a BCBA, clinical leader, or behavioral health operator thinking about compliance, supervision quality, and scalable systems, this is a conversation worth hearing.

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, Melissa shares a clinician’s perspective on how technology should support - not complicate - real-world care.

Melissa discusses the gap between how systems are built and how services are actually delivered in the field. She also explores the rise of caregiver-supported models, the growing role of AI in documentation and clinical workflows, and why many clinicians are moving toward specialized and independent practice models.

They also dive into marketing and growth strategies in the ABA space, including why relationship-driven partnerships still outperform many traditional marketing tactics - and why ethical growth matters more than ever.

If you're a practice owner, BCBA, or behavioral health leader navigating new technology, workforce challenges, or growth strategies, this conversation offers practical insights from someone who operates both in the field and inside the tech ecosystem.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Where technology often fails clinicians in real-world settings
 • Why caregiver support tools are becoming essential in ABA services
 • How AI transcription and automation may reduce documentation burden
 • Why specialization is shaping the future of ABA careers
 • How relationship-driven growth beats transactional marketing
 • What practice owners should be cautious about when adopting new technology

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, driven by a mission to expand access to high-quality, team-based ABA care in underserved areas like Maryland. He discusses the importance of strong culture combined with effective therapy, building operational infrastructure to support clinical excellence, navigating the fast-changing ABA landscape, and the power of brand reputation and word-of-mouth in a competitive market.

Tune in for practical insights on leadership, scaling ethically, marketing in behavioral health, and adapting to emerging trends like AI - all while keeping clinical quality and family impact at the core.

Whether you're an ABA provider, clinician, or leader in behavioral health, this candid 10-minute conversation delivers real-world lessons on growing access to care without compromising standards.