Catalight Classroom Offers Continuing Education on Innovations That Will Expand Access to Autism Care

Certificates Offered in Parent-Mediated and ABA Coaching Programs

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Sept. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Designed to bring Catalight’s innovative care treatments to more clinicians in support of individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), the organization last month opened Catalight Classroom – an online education academy meant to further reshape the behavioral health industry.


Previously a resource for providers within the Catalight network, Catalight Classroom expanded on Aug. 15 to any clinician interested in educational opportunities, improving client outcomes, pursuing wellbeing and promoting personalized care.

Informed by more than a decade’s worth of real-world data and driven by clinical innovation, Catalight – one of the largest behavioral health networks in the United States – is known, organizationally, for a curated suite of solutions that offer high-quality, efficient and meaningful care through lower hour treatment.

“Clinicians, as a whole, recognize the heterogeneity of the autism and I/DD population,” said Catalight’s Vice President of Clinical Impact Brianna Fitchett. “We need to give clients options in care that best fit their needs. Practitioners who utilize Catalight Classroom will go on to provide more choice for their clients.”

With an industry-wide shortage of well-trained practitioners, the ultimate goal of Catalight Classroom is to improve access to care for those who need it by reducing wait times and increasing flexibility with telehealth and lower hours of treatment. Focusing on programs taught in Catalight Classroom enables clinicians to serve more clients efficiently and meet diverse needs. Catalight’s treatment options are particularly beneficial for private practice clinicians and organizations seeking advanced, convenient treatment options that allow them to care for more clients.

“Classroom gives access to courses and education that clinicians can't get anywhere else. These service lines are really changing the lives of families,” said Fitchett, who leads Classroom.

Key offerings:

Certificate programs: Classroom’s flagship offerings are 8 to 12-hour certificate courses in its innovative treatment programs. Available now are programs on Compass-Behavioral (Compass-B) and Catalight’s newest option, RUBI (Research Units in Behavioral Intervention). Designed to promote self-determination and wellbeing, Compass-B is an applied behavioral analysis-based coaching program where behavioral health experts focus on development areas, like executive functioning, social relationships and emotional regulation, that are important to teen and adult clients. RUBI is a parent-mediated program in which therapists teach caregivers tailored ABA-based behavioral strategies that focus on what’s driving behavior. The courses include manuals, tools, hands-on materials, Catalight’s signature Wellbeing Scales and other resources that equip practitioners to implement the service line topics effectively.

Continued education courses: 2 to 4-hour specialized courses focus on postgraduate-level concepts. While lighter than the certificate programs, they delve into specific topics, offering valuable insights.

Webinars: Short, dynamic sessions lasting 1 to 2 hours covering various clinical topics. Webinars are designed to be accessible and interactive, featuring video recordings, knowledge checks and practical content.

Through its innovative courses and programs, Classroom supports the professional development of clinicians and aims to expand access to effective, Catalight-designed treatments across diverse populations.

Catalight Classroom remains free to in network Catalight providers. Group and individual rates are available for outside clinicians seeking to expand their knowledge base.

Courses provide continuing education units, as applicable, allowing clinicians to maintain licensure while advancing their professional skills. The programs, courses and webinars are available through an easy-to-navigate online platform at CatalightClassroom.org, offering self-paced learning with interactive components and live virtual capstone sessions.

A Vision for the Future

Started in 2022 as an internal education offering, Catalight Classroom was designed by Catalight experts and continuously improved over the last two years. By leveraging feedback from employee clinicians and clients and incorporating clinical data, programs remain relevant and impactful – offering a new standard in post-graduate education.

“In opening up Classroom to all, we’re looking to expand our impact across the globe,” Fitchett said. “We’re excited to offer these resources to a wider audience, helping clinicians enhance their practice and ultimately improve the quality of care for individuals with I/DD. Breaking down barriers for those who are in need of better care is what it’s all about for everyone.”

Catalight is planning on adding certificate programs in three additional treatment options in early 2025: Chat (caregiver-led naturalistic developmental and language-based intervention for children 6 and under), Connect (parent-mediated program designed to improve the wellbeing of people with profound intellectual multiple disabilities), and Calibrate (parent-mediated approach concentrated on dangerous behavior reduction).

-30-

About Catalight
Catalight breaks down barriers and biases to create a more equitable world so people with developmental disabilities can choose their path. Catalight provides access to innovative, individualized care services, clinical research and advocacy — all powered by intelligent technology. Through the work of affiliate partners, Easterseals Hawaii and Easterseals Northern California, Catalight and its family of companies support people with developmental disabilities and their families across their care journey.

The Catalight family of companies is one of the largest behavioral health networks in the nation with more than 14,000 practitioners serving 20,000 clients and families every day. Backed by more than a decade of experience and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, we are reimagining the way people with developmental disabilities and their families experience healthcare. Catalight’s goal is to ensure that individuals and families receive timely access to evidence-based treatment, including naturalistic developmental and language-based services, applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

Contact:
Keith Ferguson
Catalight
Director of Communications and Marketing
keith.ferguson@catalight.org
925-532-9615

Attachment

• Catalight Classroom

CONTACT: Keith Ferguson
Catalight
925-532-9615
keith.ferguson@catalight.org