behavior technician

registered behavior technician

board certified behavior analyst

autism specialist

behavioral specialist

Life Skills Autism Academy

I have worked so many different places with so many different styles and cultures, all with their own troubles and challenges that can make them difficult but this one was by far the most disheartening for me. 

I was interested in this job because I genuinely wanted to help people and to learn but continuing down this path just made it harder and harder to maintain that passion. I preface with the fact that I would be interested in this job because I want it to be clear that this was not something I gave up on because I didn't care but because of the management and culture that made it to frustrating to continue.

To paint this picture, I'll highlight the hiring and training process a bit here so people can get a sense of what they are getting themselves into.
To start of the first interview you have is fully preformed by an AI. It was really clear to me that this was an ai based on how it "spoke" but they try to cover it up by adding "office" background noise including the ai telling you they were "typing" with the sounds of typing added in before you even start talking.
This isn't necessarily a huge deal. I know they are a big company and have a lot of interviews to get through so I suppose it makes sense to streamline the question but I wanted to be able to have more of a conversation which I just couldn't have with this. I also wanted the option to ask deeper questions about the job but didn't feel I could do this with the ai. I also think, just as a hiring perspective, I wasn't showing actually me during this style of interview and was answering more in a form that could have been typed out. I was answering to match the ai, not actually representing myself. In a person to person interview, we're able to feed off of each other and build those connections to break the ice of strangers into people discussing common interests. (I hope that makes sense)

So that wasn't a huge red flag because I know that's a thing that companies are doing now but since it is a human facing and supporting job, it seemed odd to have this take the place of a human job to me.

Then, there was something of a set up stage. I got connected with a real person for a follow up interview and honestly, he was lovely! Shout out  to Jake. I got to talk through more of my experience and ask questions and even though he was less familiar with specifics of my role because he worked in another side of the company, he was still really helpful and got me all set up, even helping me get the days off I needed for a trip ahead of time and getting me a higher starting pay rate. After getting set up, I never heard from them again.

After that, there a zoom orientation of sorts with several other new hires. It essentially went over specific things we had seen in the paperwork before hand. I totally get you have to cover your bases to makes sure people know the information but it still felt a little talked down to. This was with a different person who I never encountered again. 

Then they set up a private meeting with a new person where I verified some of my information. This person was supposed to be my main point person through out the rest of my training and such but I didn't hear from them again except through automated emails.

Through out this whole onboarding and training process, I found it very difficult to try to reach out and ask questions because there were so many different people that I had talked to that I didn't know who to ask. I would reach out to the most recent person I spoke with and they would tell me to talk to the person before them, making it confusing why I had talked to them in the first place. 

Then, training started. I was excited to learn this information so I could get started with the job and I did learn a lot. It is tricky though because you are expected to do at least 5 hours of training a day which isn't paid until the end of all of the training. Since this is a part time job, I was working another part time job in the mornings and doing trainings in the afternoons, meaning I was working about ten hours a day, give or take on the day of my other job. This was a lot to juggle and I assumed that they would anticipate some adjusting schedules because of their job being part time. Even still, throughout training I was getting automated texts and emails, telling me to sign things at very specific times about an hour away from my home. I'd reply that I couldn't do that because I was working my other job then (which was in my paperwork and everything) and would ask if they had other options of times to sign this, which I would get non helpful or vague responses to (when I got responses at all). Additionally, you get your cpr certification/get it renewed which adds another couple of hours to your training schedule (around 3 hours online and 2 hours in person for mine but each might be different depending on what you already have and what's available in your area). 

I think this whole onboarding process took over a month and more than that before I saw any money come in for any of the work I did to get there. It feels tacky to talk about money and stuff like that but when you are working really hard for so long for something, it would be nice to see a bit of appreciation or compensation for it so even a more present or helpful supervisor would have been nice in my book. Or at the very least, if I knew who to turn to when I needed support.

So that's training and getting the job which I think sets the tone for the rest of the job. I think it could have been a cool place to work but after so long of not feeling supported and like I was navigating all of it on my own, I couldn't take it anymore. I sent in my resignation by email and got an automated reply back where my name was clearly copy and pasted into it (they hadn't changed the font to match the body of the email).

I wanted to stay for the kids and to help but the structure was not there to make me supported or to feel like I was growing. It was just stressful.

If these seem like things you can handle, go for it and take the job. If not or if any of those kind of things bug you, this is the culture here and I recommend finding something else that supports you better.

Sadly the cons outweighed the pros. Depending on the market you work for, being a fully remote BCBA wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. - Expect to work 10-12 hour long days and just because you are remote does not mean you will have a great work-life balance. - Scheduling: You will be in charge of adding and manually canceling sessions. It may not seem much, but it does add up to your non-billable items to do on a daily basis. - You will be more of a salesperson than an actual clinician. I really hated being the person to hound down on families to make sure they were at least at 80% utilization of their authorized hours. I understand that it's important that we get all the hours possible for clients, but having these sales tactic conversations really hinders the relationship between the BCBA and parent. There should be another admin person that should be doing this. - Centria will try and get the absolute most amount of hours possible from each client they get. I had 13 year old authorized with 30 hours a week and he was not severely impacted. That's over a 70 hour work week youre asking for a child. It was really hard for me to push towards adding saturday AND sunday sessions so that they can get up to at least the 80%. - Speaking of utilization, be prepared to feel like a numbers metric. Every week you will meet with your regional clinical director and they will go over all of your hours in a spreadsheet to make sure youre hitting your billables. They never checked on how the client was actually doing or if they were progressing from the actual therapy we were servicing. It was like a weekly meeting of shame and "how are we doing hitting our numbers? Talk about Corporate America. - Centria is SUPER strict on making sure you are hitting at least 10% weekly of your authorized hours. So if a client is authorized for 30 hours a week, your weekly supervision minimum is 3 hours. Doesnt seem bad at first right? But of course, there are cancellations and unexpected events and PTO. That means you will have to make it up. So now that 3 hour session becomes a 6-hour session to make up for lost time. Remember you still have to also see your other clients at that minimum 10%. The days get long because of this.  - They promised me that I would have minimal evening clients. But every evening client I had went until 8pm. I never had dinner with my family because I was so stressed in making sure I hit my billables and the majority of my client sessions went until 8pm. - You will do a lot of admin tasks like submitting multiple google forms for BT cancellations, sub requests, or BT requests for new initial assessments. - Depending on the funder, you will only have 24 hours to conduct and write an initial assessment (If you work for the AZ market). But mostly you will only have 5 days to complete it (but also make 10% weekly of supervision for ALL of your clients) so god forbid you need more time to write the assessment because they are insanely long and take about 30 pages (even with the new Care Connect upgrade). - BTs do not get in-person training. They literally do a 40-hour relias training course and the first time they get face to face with a client is on their first day with their caseload. - It is very difficult to train a BT remotely especially if their entire training experience was all on a computer screen. - Expect to dish out a couple hundred dollars to travel to your market every quarter. They pay you back on your next paycheck but its still financially hard to pay for your hotel/airbnb, flight, and car rental. - The amount of work that I had to do was so overwhelming and taxing, I had several breakdowns. So much so I called the emergency doctors line and they immediately prescribed me Prozac. NO JOB IS WORTH THIS. - Every other BCBA I spoke to in my market all felt the same way. Feeling way overworked, seen as a business metric, feeling more like a salesperson than an actual clinician, and feeling way out of touch with staff and clients due the amount of BTS work we put in every day.  - Centria prides themselves for being innovative and client-centered. especially with their SBT/PFA mentorship. But with the amount of work you still have to do AND complete the mentorship, they threatned if you dont pass the mentorship, you will be terminated. It was extremely stressful to balance the mentorship and still hit all of your billables and non-billable activities. I had no breathing room. - Its such a HUGE company who's CEO does not have a clinical background at all. This company's only prerogative is MAKING MONEY AND LOTS OF IT. Because the more BCBA's bill, and the more clients that they can get 30-40 hour authorizations, the more money they can get. - This job made me the most depressed and the most unhealthiest version of myself. Do yourself a favor, and avoid working here, especially if you value your mental health.

I wish someone had given me this information before I even applied for a job with this company. So hopefully, I can help someone else:

Upon being hired to work for Centria, you will be given log in information for a website where you have to do 4-6 weeks of online training courses to “certify” you as a behavioral Technician. Immediately after you finish that and go through orientation (9 hours of sitting in a room and listening to someone repeat all of the stuff from the videos you just watched for 6 weeks) you will be given more log in information for a website in which you will have to watch 3-4 hours worth of modules a month EVERY MONTH YOU ARE EMPLOYED WITH CENTRIA, each of them having a test at the end. If you do not find time to do these within your very limited personal time, you will not be eligible for the 6-month raises. You will also be given ANOTHER set of log in information for another website where they will want you to consistently check in, watch videos, complete surveys and quizzes, etc. 

All of these tasks for all of the different websites are to be completed on your personal time without any sort of compensation. Also they will probably change the websites that you do all this on multiple times, like they did for me. The website, username, and passwords for all of my accounts have changed at least two times each and the same goes for the employee portal to access paystubs and other personal information.

Once settled into your new career at Centria, you will realize that the only person who will be of any assistance to you or even acknowledge your existence for the most part will be your BCBA or BC. The Client Service Managers (whose job is literally just to be available to everyone involved with the cases they manage) will more than likely not acknowledge your calls, emails, or any other attempts you make at gaining assistance to provide the expected care for these children. 

Working at the centers is a bit easier than being in home, due to the fact that other Behavioral Technicians will likely be more helpful than a majority of the “resources” you have available to you (CSMs, Payroll, HR) 
If you are working in home, the only assistance you will have is your BCBA who will help out as much as possible, but their abilities are very limited due to the set up of the chain of command. For a majority of the work week, you will have no coworkers and a very limited support team. New employees should definitely work at the center first, otherwise you start your new job with no co-workers and have to teach yourself how to do a job you’ve never done  

They are very quick to advertise the benefits that they offer, but do not discuss how difficult it can be to get a caseload large enough to qualify you for anything or the length of time it takes to acquire benefits after becoming full time. With most children being in school around the same time of day (7am-3pm) most cases start around the same time which would be before or after school. Meaning that after you get your first case which will probably be sometime after 3pm, your only availability will be the time that children are in school and unavailable for therapy. Unless your first case is 30+ hrs, you’d are going to have a hard time getting to full time and gaining benefits  

They will underpay you on your check from time to time, decide not to pay you OT and/or mileage, and consume every last ounce of your life. Between make up hours from families canceling, consistently having to watch training videos and take tests in regards to things that they should’ve taught in orientation, managing a case without a case manager, making sure all of your certifications are up to date (with only a 10 day notice of anything expiring and you will not be able to work until you find the time to take a 4 hr CPR class in the middle of your work week. And also finding time to make up the hours you missed due to having to take the CPR class), you will have absolutely no time for yourself or anything else that is important to you. This company will drain you of your mental health and continue to brag about the great pay and amazing benefits that most aren’t even able to receive. 

I have never had to put so much of myself into a job, and while being passionate and involved is very very important, I am almost certain that they are pushing the limits to a very unbelievable extent and expecting more out of the Behavioral Technicians (lowest ranking in the company) than anyone else. I am in therapy now because of the stress this company has caused me. This is a wonderful job and an amazing career path, this company just has no clue what they are doing

You are NOT guaranteed hours. If your client's parents cancel session, you may not get to work that day, unless another client needs a substitute technician. You're also not guaranteed benefits; the company's policy states that if you work 30 hours a week, you'll be eligible for benefits. However, if your average hours a week dips below 30 hours during the quarter (which is very common with how frequent some clients' parents cancel session) then you will lose your benefits, even though it is not your fault if you were unable to work because your client's parents cancel session frequently. Most of the BCBAs at Centria are not even in the center and some do not even see clients in person; a significant portion of them work from home and zoom in to supervise you with your client, which brings up many different issues (many of the little ones get distracted with having a video camera on them / seeing the iPad screen, which makes it difficult to run trials and the BCBA does not get an accurate idea of what a typical session with your client looks like. Keeping a camera on the client during supervision hours also makes it difficult to interact/play with them naturally. The BCBAs that are never in center also do not get to form much of a connection with the client and therefore are not as insightful on how to deal with certain behaviors). I've worked for a couple of ABA companies and Centria is extremely mismanaged in comparison. My coworkers had many of the same issues I had, and therefore the turnover rate is VERY high, which also hurts the clients' progress. There was one client in the center who had 4+ different behavior technicians in the span of 3-4 months. At that rate, the client does not even have enough time to build rapport/a connection with their technician and make progress. But it is evident to me that Centria cares more about profit than providing quality care for clients, and they have no interest in taking care of their employees. Oh, and you are not guaranteed a lunch if you work in-center. You must schedule a lunch break daily if you want one, and the coordinators will let you know when they are available to give you a lunch break so they can watch your client; however, if they are understaffed, then you may be out of luck. Most technicians I know simply did not schedule a lunch break or take any breaks at all besides going to the bathroom because it was too much of a pain. Outside of the obvious reasons this impacts employees, it also raises a question of safety for the clients. If not enough coordinators are available to give even 1 employee a lunch break on certain days (god forbid more than one employee wanted a lunch break), what will happen when there is an emergency such as an escalated client exhibiting aggressive behaviors and a technician needs assistance? If a coordinator is watching someone else's client while they are in the bathroom/taking a break, they would not be able to assist someone else in a different part of the center during an emergency. Furthermore, I would not be surprised if Centria is breaking some sort of labor law with the break situation / the hoops you have to jump through to get one.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part for me was further enhancing my already pre-existing knowledge and passion for all subjects of psychology, psychiatry, patient care, childhood development, as well as bonding with a client and seeing them grow.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
For me, I found I received very little support from management regarding past info to be taught to assist my client the best possible way that they are comfortable with from who worked with them previously. Management was lackluster in support, indirect, disorganized, and if it wasn't for my previous history of working with neurodivergent individuals like myself, with youth, education,  being empathetic and having learned patience elsewhere, I would have crumbled much sooner with the utter lack of connection between employees and management. I had left after that problem only became worse, and after not receiving work safety and comfort regarding an issue of harassment. It was very pleasant at first to be here, but solely for the blessing and opportunity to work with these amazing clients. In terms of management, I would unfortunately have to recommend looking else, especially in terms of work safety and safe environments.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment in the location I was at, was very enjoyable to be around if you are someone who handle significant noise for prolonged periods of time. The culture of company regarding most fellow co-workers over all was quite pleasant and the memories will be fond and I appreciate the support the employees give one another. We have made better managers for eachother rather than the managers themselves. I would say the ethics are overall pretty standard in what seems to be positive leaning in nature and interactive as well as engaging for clients. Overall, I do believe the goal, dream, ethics, and vision are far better than other companies that also work within ABA. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me is getting in there, getting equipment ready, greeting my arriving client, helping them integrate into center, and focusing on maintaining their wellbeing, while working towards their assigned plan. I always aimed for their individual interactions with others, and I also enjoyed spending time with the client as well as other co-workers. I felt positive in my own psychological state regarding my connection with the client, almost all coworkers and my job. The typical days unfortunately got more uncomfortable in regards to management or a lack there of, and harassment that was not assisted with. So it became too stressful, anxiety inducing, triggering, and I had to leave for my own wellbeing.

Whether you’re an RBT or BCBA, your day is guided by clear protocols, solid clinical programming, and instant access to support. You’ll work with clients whose assent is prioritized, use streamlined systems to document and communicate, and collaborate with a team that’s genuinely aligned in values and goals. Questions are encouraged, and help is always available—you’re never left to figure it out alone. I’ve grown tremendously in implementing assent-based practices in real, meaningful ways. I’ve learned how to balance clinical precision with ethical sensitivity, how to navigate multiple platforms efficiently, and how to advocate for clients without compromise. Whether you’re just starting out or already certified, this is a place where clinical and ethical development happens daily. Leadership is exactly what it should be: available, responsive, and invested in your success. From direct BCBA supervisors to upper management, you’ll experience mentorship instead of micromanagement. They don’t just talk about support—they provide it, consistently and across formats (chat, video, documents, team calls, etc.). This is a culture where assent isn’t a checkbox—it’s a cornerstone. The team is compassionate, intelligent, and deeply collaborative. Everyone works toward the same mission: providing ethical, client-led, effective care. It’s an emotionally safe space to grow, learn, and contribute. There’s a robust infrastructure in place—meaning, multiple systems, software platforms, and processes you’ll need to master. It’s a lot at first, but onboarding is incredibly well-done, and you’ll always have support and resources to reference as you learn. Being part of a team that puts clients first—genuinely and consistently—is the most rewarding aspect. You feel good about the work you’re doing, the ethics you’re upholding, and the people you’re working alongside. That sense of purpose and integrity is rare and refreshing. If you’re looking for a company that supports clinical excellence, prioritizes ethical treatment, and actually walks the talk when it comes to client dignity and team support—this is the one. You’ll grow here, be heard here, and most importantly, provide care you can stand behind with full confidence.

Working at Centria Autism in Mount Pleasant as a Behavior Technician has been rewarding and an educational experience. When first getting my job at Centria, this is not what I wanted to pursue professionally in my life. But after just a few months my whole perspective changed and I knew that becoming a BCBA was exactly what I was destined to do in this world. A typical day at Centria involves working one-on-one with children following an individualized treatment plan created by a board certified analyst. Sessions often include teaching communication skills, social interactions, and daily living skills through structured play and reinforcement. The work can be fast paced and requires a lot of patience, but it's incredibly fulfilling to see small victories and progress over time. 
During my time at Centria, I've learned so much about Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) and how behavior interventions can truly make a difference in a child's development. I've gained stronger communication skills, learning how to manage challenging behaviors, and developed a deeper sense of empathy and adaptability. The role has also strengthened my ability to stay calm and think critically in high-stress situations. 
Management at the Mount Pleasant center is generally supportive and approachable. Supervisors and BCBAs are available for guidance, and they do a good job providing feedback and encouragement. The workplace culture is collaborative- most of the team members genuinely care about the clients and about helping each other succeed. It's a team-oriented environment where everyone shares the common goal of improving the lives of the children we serve. 
The most challenging aspect of the job can be managing difficult behaviors or emotionally intense situations. It can be physically and mentally demanding, especially on days when progress feels slow or when a child is struggling. Balancing energy and maintaining patience can be tough, but it's part of what of what makes the job meaningful. The best part of working at Centria is watching the children reach their goals, no matter how small. Seeing a child communicate a new word, master a skill, or simply smile after a successful session is incredibly rewarding. Building bonds with the clients and knowing you've played a part in their growth makes all the hard work worth it. Recently a client of mine played a board game with a peer for the first time and I truly cried seeing that progress. 

If you’re  a high school student wanting a part time gig, or side work (Bc you already have a reliable steady paying job) then maybe but it gets old. I went into this company thinking I was getting an opportunity to step into the field of psychology & learning so as to get my foot in the door on the path I wanted to take. I’ve worked 2 cases at once, and I’ve also been with just one for months. Ppl keep saying great compensation.. however it’s really not. You have to honestly have two cases to make anything close to $450-500. A lot of driving and you are expected to upload your own miles to get reimbursed for the gas you’ve spent because although they say your kiddo will be in a 5-7 mile radius it’s lies. They will have you temporarily fill in for a kid that’s over 40miles a way next thing you know you are stuck with that case at that distance because you don’t wanna be making just $200 a week due to just having one kid. They still post hiring adds and we have techs with no cases. They constantly swap out CSMs.. payroll constantly makes mistakes and has to be contacted often. With one case you will only make $250 a week and it’s actually a lot of work for one kid and that little compensation. They make us take modules on our own time monthly (not paid!) that are 2-4 hours long and you have to have them all done in order to even receive a 50 cent raise every 6 months. You rack up miles on your vehicle as well. Half the people do what they want anyhow. They ask for way too much for that little of compensation. I quickly realized I was putting in way too much effort & is honestly quite over it if I’m being honest.. you burn out & the families basically control your checks. If they cancel .. then you don’t get paid but you are expected to make up those hours. Sometimes they will cancel at least 2-3 times a week because it gets old having someone constantly in your house every day for hours.  You basically work on an honor system.. but with constant cancellations a lot techs just log hours anyway even tho the family canceled. There’s no communication between the families and company to even let Centria know (my tech hasn’t been here in days) All they care about is hours. A lot of techs log session and aren’t even going.. insurance companies are beginning to become aware of this and so now you have to do a survey when you open your iPad to start a session, and now you have to fill out another survey in order to end a session as well. They’ve also added a 500 word slot to leave notes for the insurance policies to see exactly what they are paying for without violating HIPPA. I honestly believe even the insurance companies are aware that this is sketchy, which is why we now have to fill out the 500 word section for the insurance companies.. which adds to your load and actually slows you down from leaving on time.

Too many to share here. Overall just a lying and manipulative executive team. An example of what I mean by lying is that at one point the company was attempting to acquiring another company and was going to bring them into the headquarters to show them around. The executive team had made posters for the office of a grossly inflatated number that supposedly represented the "total number of clients" that we were serving at the time to make us look like we had more influence than we did. Some may call that a good business tactic, but I find it gimmicky and disingenuous. 

More examples of lying come from the details surrounding the corruption and scandal. I had almost a novel to write here about this but realized most people wouldn't make it past a couple paragraphs so just just Google “Centria Detroit Free Press” and see for yourself. Any articles by Crain’s Detroit Business are written because Centria has a “working relationship” with them. All articles are found under “sponsored content” which means Centria pays to have nice things written about them to cover up the bad press. Additionally production metrics are ever shifting with a seemingly endless amount of excel spreadsheets being thrown at you that you need to stay on top of From answering phone calls (secretarial front end business outside your specific role), to the definition of your case load (that goes for operations and clinical teams), to utilization demands, this is what other reviews mean by "change is constant". The executives are not accommodating when the decision to alter methods or approaches changes. 

Centria can hardly keep anyone working there (operations directors and BC/BCBA'S included) or staying in the role they were hired for, especially as a CSM. The lifespan for a csm is typically 6-8 months. Turnover is even worse for behavior technicians. The executive team is all about the bottom line and negative reinforcement/threats are a constant as a means for motivating you. Everyone I know there is either looking for a way out or to make a lateral move away from the CSM role. Of course there's also the nepotism and cliques. Truly the only way to ensure you stay with the company. I had originally listed here all the instances I was aware of with relatives on the executive team but it was deemed that was too specific so I'll just mention that it's extremely pervasive throughout upper management and into HR. Save yourself the stress of long work days and two-faced management and work literally anywhere else. It's not worth it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Behavior technician 35986 salaries reported	$19.93 per hour
Registered behavior technician 25362 salaries reported	$20.10 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 2745 salaries reported	$88,952 per year
Autism specialist 3851 salaries reported	$20.27 per hour
Behavioral specialist 93 salaries reported	$19.51 per hour

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