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 discusses the growing need for family support, navigating special education systems, and what true advocacy looks like in today’s behavioral health landscape.

This conversation is packed with practical insights for providers, educators, and leaders looking to create real impact for the families they serve.

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 mindset, leadership approach, and mission to help others unlock psychological strength.

They discuss anxiety as a signal of growth, why our brains focus on the negative, how leaders can challenge internal narratives, and why discomfort is often the price of real progress.

If you want to think bigger, lead better, and stop letting fear call the shots, this episode is for you.

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 influences the way she leads, hires, and delivers care today.

They dive into:

•  What separates good care from great care in modern ABA organizations 
•  Why hiring and developing the right people is the foundation of everything 
•  The real challenges of scaling while keeping clients, clinicians, and teams aligned 
•  Why organic, relationship-driven marketing is still winning in a world of automation 

Rachel’s approach is simple but powerful: prioritize people, lead by example, and build real relationships at every level of the business.

If you're building, leading, or scaling a behavioral health organization, this episode is a must-listen.

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 communities led him into behavioral health, and how he now applies systems thinking to leadership, program design, and nonprofit growth. The conversation dives into balancing mission with scale, building trust in underserved communities, and why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in violence prevention.

If you are leading a behavioral health organization or trying to grow with purpose, this episode offers a grounded, practical perspective on what actually works.

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 80 locations across the U.S. - not by chasing growth, but by obsessing over quality, infrastructure, and patient outcomes first.

They dive into:

•  Why focusing inward can unlock external growth 
•  The balance between scaling and maintaining care quality 
•  How stigma continues to impact addiction treatment 
•  Why science — not ideology — should guide treatment decisions 
•  The real reason their marketing strategy avoids traditional advertising 
•  How community trust drives patient acquisition more than paid ads 

This is a candid, practical conversation for leaders navigating growth, operations, and impact in behavioral health.

Short. Tactical. No fluff.

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 about intrinsic motivation. He breaks down the core elements required for transformation including motivation, knowledge, resources, and overcoming resistance.

The conversation also dives into working with trauma and suicidality, the importance of meeting clients where they are, and why building hope early in treatment is critical. On the business side, Clint shares how specialization and clarity in positioning have been his most effective “marketing strategy” and what he’s watching closely as AI and investor-backed therapy groups reshape the industry.

This is a practical, grounded conversation for clinicians, operators, and leaders who want to better understand both the human and business side of behavioral health.

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 into what leaders often get wrong about culture, why the “small things” matter more than most realize, and how early behaviors can shape or derail an organization’s environment. Nick also breaks down the real challenges of scaling teams in behavioral health, highlighting the importance of cross-functional alignment and sustainable growth.

On the talent side, he shares what’s actually working to attract and retain great people today, from values-based hiring to the “My Child Test” that every organization should consider.

If you’re leading, hiring, or scaling in behavioral health, this episode offers practical, grounded insights from the HR side of the equation.

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 workplace performance through Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) to influencing public health and policy, she explains where ABA has untapped potential to create real-world impact.

The conversation also dives into one of the biggest gaps in training for new BCBAs - the difference between what’s required by funding sources and what the science actually allows. Frances offers a fresh perspective on developing flexible, thoughtful practitioners who can adapt their approach across environments.

They also unpack what it really takes to build a values-driven organization, why finding the right fit matters more than scale, and how transparency in marketing helps attract aligned clients and partners.

If you’re a behavioral health leader, clinician, or operator looking to expand your thinking beyond the status quo, this episode delivers practical insight without the fluff.

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.