If you’re a parent or caregiver seeking support for your child, you’ve likely encountered a word that can feel like a door closing: waitlist.
At Behavior Buffet LLC, we’ve made a conscious and unwavering decision: we do not maintain a waitlist. Ever.
This isn’t a business strategy; it’s a core part of our ethical and clinical philosophy. We believe waitlists are, at best, unkind to families in need, and at worst, unethical in our field.
The Crisis Point and a Response with Integrity
Across the last two decades I’ve been in the field, there’s one overarching theme across all the families I’ve encountered: by the time a family picks up the phone to call us, more often than not, they have exhausted their own resources. The challenges they’re facing are often significant, impacting safety, learning, and the overall well-being of the entire family. Reaching out for help is a monumental step, a behavior born out of necessity, courage, and hope.
We believe the only appropriate response to that courage is immediate support and a clear path forward. A waitlist, in contrast, is a form of rejection that compounds the family’s stress. It dismisses their urgent need and adds the heavy weight of uncertainty. We refuse to be another barrier on their already difficult journey.
A waitlist is a non-answer, a “maybe, later.” Our commitment is to provide a real answer right away. If the answer can’t be “yes, lets schedule an assessment,” then it must be a proactive and supportive “no,” paired with immediate, concrete steps we can take to help them find the support they need elsewhere.
Waitlists prolong the crisis and adds the stress of uncertainty to a family that is already carrying so much. We refuse to be the source of that experience.
Our Ethical Commitment: No False Promises
A waitlist can create a false promise. It makes a family a number in a queue with no real clarity on when services might begin. In the dynamic world of behavior analysis, our own capacity can change in an instant. A waitlist from six months ago is often a poor predictor of our availability today.
We believe in radical honesty and transparency. If we do not have the capacity to take on a new client with the intensity and quality they deserve, we tell them so immediately. We do not collect their name and hope for the best. We take action.
Our Alternative: The Proactive Bridge
So, what do we do when we can’t provide a service ourselves? We become a bridge.
- Immediate, Actionable Referrals: When our doors are temporarily closed, our first step is to open another. We maintain a current, vetted list of other providers and organizations in our area who share our commitment to quality care. We provide families with specific contacts and information, right then and there, on the phone or in our email. We don’t just wish them luck; we give them a map.
- The Follow-Up Commitment: We don’t just hand off a list and say goodbye. We make a note to follow up with that family in about one month. We check in to see if they were able to connect with support. If they haven’t, we try again. This ensures that no family falls through the cracks simply because we were at capacity.
This process respects the family’s immediate need, positively reinforces their act of seeking help, and provides genuine value even when we cannot be the direct provider.
A Commitment to Sustainable Quality
This model is also a commitment to our team. By not over-promising and over-filling a waitlist, we protect our clinical team from unsustainable caseloads and burnout. This allows us to ensure that when we do take on a new client, we can provide them with the full, focused, and high-quality care they deserve from a team that is supported and engaged.
To the families navigating this journey: we see you. We know how hard it is to ask for help. We are built on the belief that when you ask for help, you deserve a response that is both ethical and compassionate, not a place in line.
If you’re seeking support, we invite you to reach out. Even if our caseloads are full, we promise you will be heard, you will be respected, and you will be supported in finding a path forward.