Meet Our Team
Clinical Leadership
Cailin M. Ockert
Executive Director
MS, BCBA, LBA
Cailin has been working with children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities since 2005. She holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Child Development from Arizona …
Emily E. Nuño
Clinical Director
M.Ed., Behavior Analyst
Emily has been working with children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities since 2009. She holds a Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Psychology and Family …
Matthew LeVac
Director of Therapy
MS, OTR/L
Matthew LeVac is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Specialist. He holds a Master of Science degree from A.T Stills University and a Certificate in Assistive Technology …
Liz Singer
Assistant Director
MS, BCBA, LBA
Liz has been working with children and teens with developmental disabilities since 2014. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. …
Behavior Analysts
Alicia Smith
BCBA
M.A., BCBA, LBA
Alicia moved to Arizona from California in 2024. She became a BCBA in 2015 and is passionate about working with children, specializing in social skills and ACT. Alicia has two …
Isabelle Comfort
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Isabelle is an Arizona transplant from Mississippi. She moved to Arizona in 2021 for her master’s program at Arizona State University. Has always enjoyed early intervention and ACT. She likes …
Jennifer C. Santoemma
Behavior Analyst
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Jenny graduated from Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After graduating, Jenny moved to Arizona and began working in the …
Chaynee Tabet
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Chaynee graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018. After graduation, Chaynee moved to Arizona to begin working in the field of applied behavior analysis. In 2021, she completed a Master …
Dylan Nikkel
Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Dylan has been working with children, teens, and adults with developmental disabilities since becoming a behavior technician at Bista in 2015. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor …
Stephanie Bakazan
Senior Behavior Analyst
MS, BCBA, LBA
Stephanie has been working with children and teens with developmental disabilities since 2015. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016 and holds a …
Laura Milstrey
Behavior Analyst
M.A., BCBA, LBA
Laura Milstrey started her career in applied behavior analysis in 2004, completing her Masters degree and practicum experience at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, an affiliate of John’s …
Speech Therapy Team
Charles Hicks Jr.
SLP Assistant
CJ Hicks is a compassionate Speech-Language Pathology Assistant who believes every child deserves to be heard and understood. He earned his SLPA Certificate from Northern Arizona University and has experience …
Lauren Schillig
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
BA, SLPA
Hello! My name is Lauren, and I am a speech language pathologist assistant. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2024 with my bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing science. …
Sarah Savage
Speech Language Pathologist
M.S., CCC-SLP
Sarah Savage began her career as a behavioral specialist and while going to school to become a BCBA she made the switch to become a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) and …
Mariana Gertz
Speech Language Pathologist
MS, CF-SLP
Mariana is a compassionate and highly dedicated speech-language pathologist (SLP) who possesses an unwavering commitment to helping individuals find their voice and overcome communication challenges. Her journey in the field …
Occupational Therapy Team
Theresa Ricci
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
COTA/L
Theresa has worked in the pediatrics industry since 2011. She started out volunteering in the special needs ministry and loved it. Theresa then became a respite and habilitation provider for …
Gabby Alcantar
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
COTA/L
Gabby Alcantar is a certified and licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant. She formerly worked as an RBT in our Bista Clinic while completing her Occupational Therapy Program. She graduated with an Associate Degree in Occupational Science from Pima Medical Institute in 2023.
































