Ethan Protzel - Founder & CEO, Behavior Group: Expanding Access to Care with AI-Powered ABA

Artificial intelligence is transforming the future of behavioral healthcare — but not by replacing clinicians. Instead, AI is unlocking more time, more accuracy, and more access to care.

In this episode, Tim sits down with Ethan Protzel, Founder & CEO of Behavior Group, to discuss:

• Why recruiting and retaining great clinicians is harder than ever
• How AI can eliminate administrative burden and accelerate outcomes
• The future of passive data collection in ABA
• The most effective recruitment marketing strategy he’s using today

Whether you’re running a growing ABA practice or exploring innovation in clinical operations, this conversation brings clarity to one of the most important topics in behavioral health today.

Transcript

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00:00 — Welcome
Timothy A. Zercher: Ethan, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate you taking time out of your day and sharing some insights today.
Ethan Protzel: Yeah, thanks for having me, Tim.

00:06 — Entry into Behavioral Health
Tim: How did you get into the behavioral health space?
Ethan: I got into it kind of on accident… (continues full response)

00:54 — Growing a New Organization
Tim: What have you found is the hardest part of growing your team?
Ethan: Definitely getting funding… onboarding the right people… (continues)

01:49 — Recruiting the Right Clinicians
Tim: What works best when it comes to finding the right people?
Ethan: You have to meet people where they're at… treat clinicians like scientists… nurture curiosity… (continues)

02:37 — AI’s Role in ABA
Tim: How do you see behavior AI changing the role of clinicians?
Ethan: AI is augmenting, not replacing clinicians… eliminates admin burden… better insights, faster outcomes, expanded access to care… (continues)

04:01 — Beyond the 40-Hour Model
Tim: Absolutely — faster outcomes mean better results.
Ethan: Exactly… AI will help us break out of cookie-cutter treatment… more individualized interventions.

04:30 — The Most Exciting Innovation
Tim: What excites you most about AI in behavioral health?
Ethan: Passive data collection — more accuracy, more volume… computer vision can detect trends humans can’t… more precise interventions… (continues)

05:28 — Marketing + Growth
Tim: What’s working best for gaining new clients?
Ethan: Relationships — connecting with pediatricians and psychologists… biggest barrier is clinicians… (continues)

06:31 — Clinician Recruitment Strategy
Tim: What marketing tactic are you considering for recruitment?
Ethan: Target psychology students early… geofencing departments… helping them find identity and direction in the field… (continues)

07:18 — Closing + Appreciation
Tim: Thank you — appreciate the insights and the work you’re doing.
Ethan: Absolutely — thanks Tim.