Equipped with the true grit and the right skills to succeed, Daniel Etra has always believed in the power of encouraging and inspiring others to achieve their goals. As a strategic leader and a business expert, he makes it a point to connect with his own team as well as his customers to improve care delivery and drive better patient outcomes. Etra’s innovative approach has in fact helped him to gain valuable insights and create the perfect solution for one of the most challenging issues in behavioral health today.

“In recent times, we’ve been seeing an explosion in the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder—latest CDC statistics are 1 in 59 children, making it more common than pediatric AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined,” points out Etra, CEO of Rethink. However, there is a significant dearth of trained professionals to deliver clinical best practice treatment. Regrettably, this market problem affects all entities that revolve around the care of an autistic child, from families to school districts to social service agencies to corporate employee benefit plans, which are all seeking ways to deliver treatment in an effective, affordable, and ultimately scalable manner. As Etra and his team of experts identified this issue, he was determined that the only way to deliver clinical best practice treatment in a scalable way is to leverage technology to train whoever is caring for the individual with the developmental disability, thereby producing a positive impact on all the entities across the care continuum. This is where Rethink came in. The Company offers the industry-leading practice management platform for behavioral health entities specializing in individuals with autism and related disorders.

Innovation is Inevitable

Most healthcare organizations, today, are more willing to explore and implement new innovative technologies like Big Data and AI to give medical professionals valuable insights into how best to treat their patients. Etra ensures Rethink stands ahead the competition curve by instilling innovation at every level of their success ladder.

Today, there is no way to accurately predict the outcomes of interventions among individuals with developmental disabilities. Rethink’s one-of-a-kind solution is helping address this issue by gathering the largest data set of outcomes associated with this population; “a data set that one day will be used to develop the right treatment protocols and facilitate the predictability of outcomes.”

Helping Employees Care

Concentrating on the three core entities involved in delivering treatment to individuals with a developmental disability—school systems, employers, and behavioral health providers—Rethink’s technology is also designed to improve treatment outcomes by simplifying/automating workflows, improving staff training, and ensuring standardization and clinical fidelity of care delivery.

“Research clearly demonstrates the impact of caring for a dependent with a developmental disability—from over twice the rates of anxiety and depression to thousands of dollars annually in lost productivity.” Indeed, over half of caregivers work fewer hours or leave the workforce to accommodate the needs of their child. The Rethink program helps support these employees, directly impacting their productivity in the workplace, and helps employers create a culture of wellness for their entire workforce. “Lastly, Rethink offers the industry-leading special needs management platform for public school districts, serving all students with a special need as well as those requiring behavior support,” says Etra.

Leader in Style

“The journey of a leader is one filled with obstacles and failures along the way. One must not let these setbacks stop the pursuit of one’s vision and one must have the grit and perseverance to drive to accomplish one’s goals,” notes Etra.

Determined to learn from every setback, Etra continues to expand Rethink’s vision by motivating his team, embracing diversity, and giving his team sufficient ownership and responsibility to execute the vision. “A great leader always needs to keep an eye on the big picture and ensure action is taken. I take a non-hierarchical and example-based leadership style, prioritizing communication and motivation.”