Values Ambassador Spotlight: Brach Bradford

Excellence is defined by the everyday actions that lead to extraordinary progress.

As he was graduating from Wichita State University, Brach wasn’t sure what his next step should be. But after learning about Heartspring at a career fair, he knew exactly where he could start.

For the last eight months, Brach’s been a valuable addition to the Heartspring Pediatric Outpatient Clinic as a registered behavior technician in our Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program. His role sits at the heart of our multidisciplinary approach to helping children communicate, connect, and gain greater independence.

As a registered behavior technician (RBT), my job is to support children and teach them life skills to become more independent.
– Brach Bradford

ABA at Heartspring is more than one‑on‑one therapy sessions. It’s part of a larger, coordinated system where clinicians across disciplines work together to support a child’s entire well-being.

Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based therapy used to help children reduce challenging behaviors, increase communication, and promote meaningful social connections. ABA is widely recognized as one of the most effective treatments for children with autism and other neurodevelopmental differences.

Every child learns differently, and every ABA session calls for flexibility, empathy, and patience. Brach adapts to each child’s needs, interests, and communication style, creating therapy experiences that are meaningful and engaging.

My favorite part of my job is the play. I can be a kid again with them and explore new things. You can kind of live vicariously through them when they see something new and exciting happen.
– Brach Bradford

At the start of every session, RBTs share updates, celebrate wins, and align on approaches so children experience consistency no matter who is supporting them. These updates ripple out to other outpatient providers who rely on RBT observations to inform their own treatment goals.

This integration is a key part of what makes Heartspring distinct: clinicians don’t work in silos here, because they shape progress together.

Whether a child is struggling with communicating their needs, social engagement, or daily living skills, ABA helps reduce behaviors that interfere with learning and growth while nurturing essential interaction and life skills that lead to greater independence and confidence.

However, learning new skills takes time, and Brach noted that we can get caught up in a child’s progress but miss out on the quality of the process. It’s the small moments that add up to major milestones, so Brach takes the time to really connect with the clients and gather information on how best to approach their goals.

His team members say that he consistently brings a calm, capable, and compassionate presence to their work, which puts both children and families at ease.

“He’s had so much growth over the last few months as a leader,” his supervisor, Angela McGuire, said. “When Brach joined Heartspring, he had no ABA experience, but his curiosity, observation skills, and patience have helped him become a skilled clinician.”

Beyond his direct caseload, Brach consistently supports additional children in the ABA program, assists other clinicians, and shares client successes with the broader team. By celebrating small wins, he reinforces a clinic culture where progress is noticed and celebrated.

A central thread in Brach’s journey is how his experience in the Heartspring Pediatric Outpatient Clinic has shaped his future goals.

Through his work in ABA, he gained a greater understanding of children’s developmental needs, their limited agency, and the unique challenges they face. These insights have helped him discover that he may want to pursue a master’s degree in clinical mental health and eventually specialize in work with adults.

Working with our clients has expanded his professional confidence, sharpened his client‑facing skills, and confirmed that he has what it takes to become a caring clinician.

Heartspring offers a training ground where emerging clinicians can build foundational skills, explore their passions, and learn who they want to become. For Brach, the one‑on‑one ABA experience, teamwork, and daily client interactions have shown him what kind of work energizes him and where he feels called to make an impact.

Excellence at Heartspring is a collective effort — a culture of collaboration, consistent communication, and shared belief in each child’s potential. Brach’s growth is one example of how our teams build expertise together to deliver meaningful, integrated care.

At Heartspring, we value excellence, celebration, leadership, service, possibility, and integrity.

Our Values Ambassadors put Heartspring’s mission into action — going above and beyond to empower children to realize their full potential, support families, and help young people build skills for life beyond our campus.