Stephanie Johnston Stephanie has extensive experience in operational and project management. With a keen focus on efficiency, she excels in streamlining processes, developing standard operating procedures, as well as training and development initiatives. Her strengths include documentation, organizational proficiency, thorough research, and comprehensive systems knowledge. Over the past four years, Stephanie has dedicated her efforts to behavioral … Read
Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D As the Vice President of Clinical Excellence, Dr. Sneed provides clinical oversight and leadership to the organization. She also conducts applied research where she evaluates the efficacy of different models of care and assists in the development of new care models with a specialized interest in parent-mediated interventions, parental stress and parental self-efficacy. As the … Read
Dan Middleton Dan oversees the Catalight Research Institute’s strategic and long-range goal planning function where he is focused on developing and building employment services for the neurodiverse community. He also partners with state and federal government agencies along with the Easterseals National Office. Prior to joining Catalight, Dan worked in senior management positions for a number of … Read
Brianna Fitchett, MPH, MA, BCBA As Catalight’s Vice President of Clinical Impact, Brianna Fitchett oversees Catalight Classroom, the post-graduate and continuing education academy for Catalight. She also heads up new program development, pilots and launches for Catalight, its affiliate organizations Easterseals Hawaii and Easterseals Northern California, and outside providers. Focused on the public health implications of new service lines and … Read
Ian Cook, Ph.D. Dr. Cook is a Developmental Psychologist who began his career researching how infants and toddlers connect, communicate and learn during social interaction and how understanding social and communicative development can inform the early identification and treatment of Autism. His 15 years in the field and his experience working with children and families in research, treatment … Read
Vincent Bemmel, Ph.D. Dr. Vincent Bemmel is a seasoned technologist with over 25 years of experience in the research and development of emerging technology solutions. At Catalight, he leads the investigation into how consumer technology combined with other powerful enabling technologies can help improve the wellbeing of our client population. In addition, he conducts evidence-based research using real-world … Read
Michelle Befi, MA, LMFT, AAMFT Clinical Fellow Michelle Befi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and practicing clinician with expertise in human development and human systems. Over the past two decades, she has served in clinical, administrative, technical, operational, and strategic roles at behavioral health organizations where she has built and scaled high-quality programs focused on supporting individuals, families and … Read
Ben Pfingston Ben is a social psychologist who has been conducting psychological research for 5 years. His initial projects involved studying the relationship between autistic identity and mental health, as well as the differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. While pursuing his Master of Science degree in Social-Personality Psychology, Ben researched the ability of non-autistic people to … Read
Doreen Samelson, Ed.D., MSCP Dr. Doreen Samelson is a licensed clinical psychologist and author with 30 years of experience in healthcare as a practicing clinician, administrator and thought leader. Before joining Catalight, Dr. Samelson was an Area Director for five mental health clinics with Kaiser Permanente where she also provided direct services to individuals with behavioral health needs. As … Read
