In the news | December 15, 2025Catalight Wins Gold and Platinum DANDA Awards for its Impact Report and Podcast Catalight earned two DANDA Awards for excellence for design and aesthetics in healthcare communications: Platinum for the 2024 Impact Report and Gold for the What’s Up With Catalight! podcast episode, “The Owl Brain, The Cheetah Brain, The Possum Brain,” exploring autism and mental health through polyvagal theory. Read News
In the news | November 21, 2025Catalight Earns Silver Anthem Award for Health Impact Report Catalight was recognized with a Silver Anthem Award in the Health Awareness category for its 2024 Impact Report, which highlights the organization’s collective efforts in supporting more than 24,000 individuals and families last year and advancing behavioral health services for people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read News
Video | November 19, 2025Catalight’s Proven Value-Based Care Model Succeeds in Improving Access and Sustainability in the Behavioral Health Industry Catalight’s shift to value-based care improves autism access, cuts costs and boosts family-centered outcomes. By emphasizing personalized goals and parent-mediated support, the non-profit shows quality care can be faster and more effective overall now. Watch video
In the news | October 29, 202520 Leaders Share Lessons Learned From Working For A ‘Bad’ Manager Leaders often learn most from ineffective managers. A Forbes Council roundup highlights lessons in clarity, empathy and trust. Catalight CEO Susan Armiger stresses being mindful of how words and actions make others feel to build respectful leadership. Read News
In the news | October 20, 2025How Telemedicine Has Transformed One Autism and I/DD Provider Network Catalight’s Chief Health Officer Tracy Gayeski, Psy.D., shares how telemedicine evolved from a pandemic necessity into a sustainable, family-centered care model that enhances access, flexibility, caregiver engagement and overall wellbeing. Read News
Press release | October 16, 2025Large-Scale Study Finds Autistic Youth Far More Likely to Be Hospitalized for Mental Health Conditions After analyzing over 1.2 million hospital admissions, Catalight’s Ben Pfingston and Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA, found autistic youth are hospitalized for mental health issues at higher rates than non-autistic peers – often due to delayed diagnosis and limited support. Highlighting the urgent need for autism-informed care, Pfingston and Dr. Sneed call for earlier intervention and clinician training to better address the unique needs of autistic children before crises arise. Read press release
In the news | October 7, 2025Future Leader: Lindsey Sneed, Vice President of Clinical Excellence, Catalight Behavioral Health Business has named Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Vice President of Clinical Excellence at Catalight, a 2025 Future Leader for her visionary leadership in advancing person-centered behavioral health care. Lindsey’s commitment to research innovation and clinical excellence has transformed treatment for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. Read News
In the news | October 3, 2025People On The Move in San Francisco With more than 20 years of global experience driving growth, innovation, and organizational impact, Rodrigo Mahs joins Catalight as Executive Vice President of Growth & Innovation. In this role, he will lead initiatives to broaden the organization’s reach and advance its mission in behavioral health. Read News
In the news | September 23, 2025What to Know About Autism in Children In an article on the early signs of autism, U.S. News & World Report features Catalight Chief Clinical Officer Doreen Samelson, Ed.D., MSCP, who suggests treatment that prioritizes a child’s needs and empowers parents to build skills into daily routines, reducing intensive therapy hours. Read News
Article | September 9, 2025Laughter, Love and Legacy: How David Murphy’s Memory Lives On Through Giving Former Easterseals Bay Area mom makes a donation to Catalight/Easterseals Northern California as just another way to honor his legacy, remember his laugh and thank the organization that helped enhance the wellbeing of their family. Read article
