Tim Talks: Behavioral Health

Isaac L. Bermudez, BCBA – Chief Innovation Officer, Brett DiNovi & Associates

Tim Zercher Season 1 Episode 60

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-stakes, sensitive environments. From leveraging data to creating meaningful KPIs, to using social media and networking as tools for growth, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for leaders, clinicians, and anyone passionate about ethical and effective behavioral health practice.

0:06 - 0:14
Timothy: Alright, well thank you so much for joining us, Isaac. We really appreciate you taking time out of your very busy day. We're in a lot of different teams. We're super excited to learn from you a little bit today.

Isaac: Thank you. Nice to be here. And thanks for the invite. Appreciate it, Tim.

0:18 - 0:26
Timothy: So, first question. What originally drew you into the autism and behavioral health space? It's not a normal career path for a lot of people.

Isaac: Yeah, well, you know, I'm on my 27th year… [Isaac continues to describe his path, the initial draw to help others, and how he fell in love with ABA.]

2:08 - 2:24
Timothy: So, you've led teams both on the organizational side and on the actual ABA clinical side. What is one kind of unconventional approach that you've introduced that completely changed how teams or clients achieve the results and made their progress?

Isaac: …[Isaac describes the “entrepreneurial approach,” using KPIs, data, and coaching leaders in a startup-like mindset to drive organizational performance.]

4:10 - 4:30
Timothy: So, you work with pretty high stakes, sensitive behavioral health cases. What's one key kind of mindset shift that you believe leaders especially need to navigate some of these challenges effectively?

Isaac: …[Isaac explains that entrepreneurial thinking can apply at every level, the importance of goal-setting, self-monitoring, feedback, and reinforcement – applying OBM principles across the organization.]

8:09 - 8:25
Timothy: Absolutely. No, it makes complete sense.

8:25 - 9:03
Timothy: We are a marketing team that specializes in ABA. So we have to ask a marketing question. What is one marketing tactic that you're either considering for your team or just watching in the marketplace right now?

Isaac: …[Isaac discusses using social media to provide free, valuable content, networking to grow reach, and letting quality work speak for itself in attracting clients and staff.]

10:17 - 10:37
Timothy: Yeah, no, that makes complete sense… Well, thank you so much for joining us, Isaac. We appreciate it.

Isaac: Awesome. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me, Tim.