Reshaping Care With Modern Approaches
Catalight may be a new name to readers, but its work—steeped in history and experience, clinical research and innovation, advocacy and individualized care—is changing lives every day and positively impacting the well-being of tens of thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
As the parent organization of an expansive network of direct care providers in behavioral health, Catalight serves 20,000 people every day across Northern California and Hawaii.
Headquartered at 2730 Shadelands Drive in the Walnut Creek Executive Park, Catalight, a nonprofit, works in the behavioral health space—specifically for people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
With more than a decade of data and clinical research, Catalight supports people with intellectual and develpmental disabilities and their families across their entire care journey by providing personalized care and advocacy.
Catalight supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families across their entire care journey.
For more than 95 years, Easterseals Northern California (also headquartered in Shadelands) has provided services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to help them live, learn, work, and play to their full potential. Catalight was founded in Walnut Creek in 2018 in response to the growing volume of client families in need of those services. Today, Catalight is the parent company of Easterseals Northern California and Easterseals Hawaii, and is one of the largest behavioral health networks of direct care providers across the nation, under which a network of 14,000 practitioners serve more than 20,000 clients per day—from San Jose to the Oregon border and across the Hawaiian islands. The family of companies is led by CEO and Walnut Creek resident Susan Armiger, who was named a Forbes “50 Over 50” honoree last summer.
Early intervention programs are administered by Easterseals Northern California, a Catalight direct care provider.
“Catalight was created to reshape the industry and how the industry serves people with disabilities—we are reimagining the way our clients and their families experience healthcare,” said Natalie Margolis, Catalight Chief Operating Officer. “Through our work, we are able to ensure quality of care to the clients and families we serve, grow innovative programs, participate in clinical research that informs best practices for care, and share our findings and ideas with fellow professionals.”
With a focus on impact and reinvesting back into the communities it serves, “Catalight’s goal is to break down the systemic challenges that exist for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we’re on that growth path now. We’re blazing new trails in the industry by empowering families with choice, and with the ability to define what success looks like and the support that works best for them,” said Natalie. “Providing quality treatment backed by recent research, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of life for clients in less time, offers greater flexibility for families and greater access for those in need of support.”
Catalight’s Shadelands lobby offers a bold and colorful welcome to visitors and clients .
The Shadelands offices of Catalight and Easterseals Northern California are large, bright, and welcoming—home to about 50 hybrid employees, many of whom live in Walnut Creek. The offices house administrative as well as direct care teams who provide services to infants, children, and adults of all ages. Company-wide, Catalight’s staff numbers about 850, of which about 500 live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area, while the balance of employees live and work in other parts of the country.
“Shadelands is our major location for clinical assessments and evaluations through Catalight Care Services,” said Dr, Doreen Samelson, Catalight Chief Clinical Officer. “Children and families come here for diagnostic services with our psychologists. You can tell where those rooms are by all the toys.”
Shadelands is a major location for Catalight clinical assessments and diagnostics.
“We see hundreds of children and teens through Easterseals because of the expansive work we do. We even see infants before a diagnosis when their families are recognizing a delay in their development,” said Doreen. “In this case, we perform clinical diagnostics and evaluations through Catalight Care Services, and then provide direct care through our Early Intervention Program administered by Easterseals NorCal.”
Adult Day Programs provide options for clients to help them live, learn, work, and play to their full potential.
“For young people who age out of school-age and youth-oriented programs, we have an adult day program, which provides a compelling, integrated community experience. So, we’re seeing and serving a wide range of ages—from babies who come in for clinical evaluations, up to adults who are in a place where they need daily support for themselves and for their families.”
Chief Clinical Director Dr. Doreen Samelson (center) speaks at Catalight’s Enhancing Your Impact Conference in March 2024.
A significant component of Catalight’s work and purpose is education, as well, said Doreen, who travels the world, connecting with professionals and practitioners, researchers and clinicians, speaking at conferences, discussing Catalight’s research findings on the most effective treatments—what works and how services can evolve in support of family needs. “Through this outreach, we’re shaping the direction of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we’re able to do this now, today, because of the resources and access we’ve built through Catalight.”
