This article is sponsored by Catalight. In this Voices interview, Behavioral Health Business sits down with Tracy Gayeski to talk about her transition into the role of chief health officer, where she’ll oversee day-to-day clinical and administrative operations, provider network activities, the Catalight Research Institute and population health groups as part of Catalight’s ongoing effort to innovate and provide person-centered care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and their families. She also provides an outlook on the future of behavioral health, as demand spikes and the industry evolves, and she explains how Catalight is adapting to help providers navigate the constantly changing landscape as new challenges and opportunities emerge.
Behavioral Health Business: What life and career experiences do you most draw from in your role today?
Tracy Gayeski: When I was an undergraduate psychology major, I worked as a behavioral interventionist, although it wasn’t called that at the time. I worked directly with a family that had a child with autism who was significantly impacted, and that was my first introduction to autism and developmental disabilities.
As I progressed through my schooling, I was simultaneously learning about the practical aspects of care. It became very clear to me that my training did not adequately prepare me to effectively help this child or his family. I connected deeply with them and was genuinely concerned about the child’s outcomes, especially since he was a three-year-old with no language and exhibited many dangerous behaviors. Traditional Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy works for some, but not all. In this case, we weren’t achieving positive results using those methods.
This experience profoundly shaped my career path. I completed my degree in psychology and specialized further in neuropsychology. Throughout my career, I consistently made sure to work with families and children with developmental disabilities. In hindsight, I realized that the training techniques at the time — what I was being taught — were not right for this particular child. Despite wanting to make a significant impact, I saw that he wasn’t making the progress we hoped for, and I didn’t know how to alter that trajectory. He needed different care.
Fast forward to today, the most important thing to me is ensuring that we provide effective care that yields positive outcomes by prioritizing the wellbeing of both the child and their family. I learned a lot from that early experience, realizing that we needed to change our approach. Now, part of my role is to ensure that our treatment plans truly help children and families achieve better outcomes and enhance the quality of their lives.
This all ties together very nicely for me, reminding me constantly of my early days in the field. It’s clear that what I was doing back then wasn’t helping as much as I wanted. That realization has driven me to advocate for better, more effective, interventions for these children and their families.
Chief Health Officer is a new role for Catalight. What are the responsibilities? Why was this position needed? What are your immediate priorities?
It’s an exciting position, and I’m really honored to be in it. It all goes back to having a greater impact on our children and families. We’re addressing the broader aspect of health equity and making sure we’re attentive to social determinants of health. We are a 2030 Healthy People Champion, which is an achievement I’m very proud of. This recognition represents our commitment to building more access, expanding treatment options for our clients and families, and reinforcing the foundations of health and wellbeing for our population.
Our efforts range from improving sleep, reducing dangerous behaviors, and advancing preventative health screenings, to minimizing ER visits, which can be particularly challenging for children with developmental disabilities and their families. It’s important to consider the bigger picture and ensure we are attentive and proactive in changing systems for these children and their families. That’s what makes my role so exciting.
Additionally, we’ve invested heavily in research to give us more tools to reshape the industry for our children and families so they can have a markedly different experience.
Catalight prides itself on its innovation and thinking differently. What programs and initiatives are you working on now that take a different approach to IDD and ASD care?
It’s really about expanding our treatment options. Going back to my time as a behavioral interventionist in undergrad, we only really had one treatment option. We now recognize that our population is very heterogeneous, with diverse needs, and having only one treatment option doesn’t adequately serve our population. One size does not fit all, and we are continually making improvements to serve the unique needs of each individual.
In turn, we’ve developed various treatment options tailored to the specific needs of each client and their family circumstances. This approach is quite different from how things were done in the past when we didn’t have the same level of flexibility. It represents a significant shift in how we work with families, which has never been the case before.
Further, our investment in research is substantial. The research we conduct informs our treatment options to facilitate evidence-based decisions in every scenario. The care I was involved in during the ’90s was based on research that predates even my own career. The research we are doing now is shaping our care in ways that lead to better outcomes for our clients and families, which is invaluable.
What is person-centered care and why is it important? Further, when working with IDD patients and their families, how do you measure success?
Everything we do, in all different ways, ultimately rolls into wellbeing — the wellbeing of the individual and the wellbeing of the family. Person-centered care really focuses on what the individual and their family needs to make sure that the treatment we provide leads to a higher quality of care and better overall wellbeing.
A good example might be evaluating whether we are focusing on something that the world deems important but may not actually matter to the child or their family. For instance, why spend countless hours trying to teach a child to tie their shoes if Velcro is an option? We should instead focus on what is more functional for them and can reduce stress for the family.
It’s being very specific about the goals we pursue — what we are doing to help alleviate stress in the family and assist the child and family in choosing their path. Ultimately, our measure of success is the wellbeing within that family. We use wellbeing scales to assess this, enhance wellbeing and diminish stress.
How is Catalight keeping up with the increased prevalence of ASD, the demand that comes with it, and the shortage of paraprofessionals in the industry?
This is a real issue in our industry. Some of the treatment options I’ve mentioned are addressing this problem. For instance, not all our treatment methods involve a paraprofessional; some utilize other certified practitioners. This diversification in treatment approaches helps alleviate the industry’s paraprofessional shortage.
Parent-mediated care is one of our modalities. Research shows it’s more convenient and flexible, reduces stress, boosts parents’ confidence in their abilities, and requires fewer hours from practitioners. It’s an effective treatment option that also addresses workforce shortages and has shown high satisfaction rates among those involved.
Another initiative we’re excited about is our new postdoctoral program focused on diagnostics, addressing the scarcity of clinicians skilled in this specialized area. This program enhances the quality and accuracy of diagnosis within the field and will provide significant support to the industry.
Lastly, at Catalight, we strive to make our organization a great place to work. We support our practitioners with ample opportunities for continuing education, both internally and externally. We host a unique annual conference that’s free for all 14,000 practitioners in our network, aimed at educating and fostering growth within the field.
With more than 20 years as a neuropsychologist and practitioner, what do you suspect will be the most rewarding part of your new role in particular?
One aspect I didn’t mention earlier, which has become increasingly clear to me as my career progresses, is my desire to make a greater impact. About five years into my career, I distinctly remember expressing a desire to help more than just the individuals sitting in front of me or the assessments I was conducting.
To achieve this, I returned to school to earn my MBA in Health Care Administration, specifically to learn how to have a broader impact, expand access, and improve outcomes. My new role provides the opportunity to extend my reach beyond just Northern California to potentially global scales. This expansion is incredibly exciting for me and it aligns with my goal to support more clients and their families in meaningful ways.
Finish this sentence: “In the behavioral health industry: 2024 will be the year of…”
…value-based care and wellbeing outcomes.
It’s about expanding access. How do we continue what we’re doing and build upon that strength to reach more people? That’s what 2024 is about: continuing to expand, achieving better outcomes, enhancing the wellbeing of our clients and families, and extending our reach further.
Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length and clarity.
CTA: Catalight is one of the largest behavioral health networks in the nation with more than 14,000 practitioners serving 17,000 clients and families each day. The company is reshaping the future of autism and intellectual developmental disability care. Learn more by visiting www.catalight.org.
The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact [email protected].
