Centria Autism unveils "Elevate" practicum program, offering comprehensive training for aspiring clinicians

New 'Elevate' program by Centria Autism ends unpaid, unstructured BCBA fieldwork with a full-time, guided BCBA path

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Centria Autism, a national provider of therapeutic services for children with autism and their families, has officially launched Elevate, a full-time, paid practicum experience designed to support aspiring Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) through every stage of their fieldwork journey.

The ABA industry is currently facing significant challenges, including a critical shortage of BCBAs. Demand for BCBAs increased by over 57% between 2023 and 2024, intensifying the shortage and making development opportunities like Elevate all the more important.

"Launching our practicum program is more than just an investment in clinical education—it's a commitment to the future of the ABA field," said Timothy Yeager, Chief Clinical Officer at Centria. "For too long, aspiring behavior analysts have been left to 'hour hunt', piecing together unpaid and inconsistent supervision just to meet requirements. Elevate changes that. We've built a full-time, paid program that gives candidates the guidance, structure, and mentorship they need to thrive, not just check boxes. By removing those barriers, we're empowering the next generation of clinicians to focus on what really matters: providing compassionate, high-quality care."

Aspiring behavior analysts must complete approximately 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—a process that is often unpaid and can lack consistency across their field work experience. Elevate is designed to change that. This innovative practicum program offers a fully compensated, structured pathway to earning both restricted and unrestricted supervised hours, enabling participants to focus on their clinical growth and development within a supportive, high-quality learning environment.

The Elevate program offers distinctive benefits including:

• Full-time employment: Participants are hired as full-time employees, receiving benefits such as paid time off and health coverage.
• Earn while you learn: All supervision hours, including those spent delivering therapy and shadowing supervisors, are paid.
• Structured growth: A three-stage process — Emerge, Empower, Ascend — guides participants with clear goals, support and recognition.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Bonus payments toward tuition or student loans after completing Elevate and joining Centria as a BCBA.
• Mentorship: One-on-one supervision and small cohorts focus on individual clinical application and progress.

"I'm incredibly proud of the work that's gone into building this program. Elevate reflects our deep commitment to shaping future clinicians through a practicum experience that's structured, supportive, and truly meaningful," said Tim Fuller, Director of Practicum and Research. "Elevate isn't just about helping candidates meet the minimum requirements; it's about giving them the confidence, skills, and mindset to grow as leaders in this field. We're preparing clinicians to deliver compassionate, assent-based care and setting them up to not just be a BCBA, but a values-aligned Centria BCBA."

On June 27, 2025, to mark the launch of Elevate, Centria hosted "Elevate & Connect: Empowering the Supervisor & Supervisee Experience," a kick-off event for aspiring clinicians. The event was hosted at W Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz. and drew 135 attendees for breakout sessions, workshops, presentations from ABA experts including Tim Fuller, Casey Russ and Timothy Yeager (Centria Autism) and a keynote address from Cas Breaux (University of West Florida).

Elevate is currently available in select states in which Centria operates. The program is expected to be more widely available throughout the remainder of 2025.

For more information about Elevate and open practicum opportunities, visit centriahealthcare.com/elevate/.

About Centria Autism

Centria Autism is a leading national provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism and their families. Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan – a suburb of Detroit – Centria employs continuous efforts to advance the science of ABA and deliver high-quality support through their Foundations of Care model, centering clients and individualizing care through Practical Functional Assessment and Skills-Based Treatment (PFA-SBT). Centria aligns each client's unique aspirations with developmentally appropriate treatment goals to inform compassionate, trauma-informed care, respecting the dignity and value of each client served.

For further information, please visit www.centriahealthcare.com.

SOURCE Centria Autism