Hopeful Therapies is a family working for families. In October we complete five years serving children and caregivers across Hillsborough and Polk County, and the people below are the reason families keep referring us to their neighbors. Our leadership team and our Board Certified clinical team work in the same building as the children we serve, in Brandon, Lakeland and Winter Haven, Florida.
Leadership team
Our leadership is hands-on and reachable. When you call during business hours a real person answers the phone – never an answering machine – and that person can reach any of the people listed here the same day.
- Julio Lorie – President & Chief Executive Officer
- Niurka Naranjo – Senior Vice President
- Elizabeth Lorie – Chief Financial Officer
- Evelin Lorie – Chief Operating Officer
- Daymarelis Betancourt – Director of Operations
- Omar Montenegro – Director of Human Resources
Board Certified clinical team
Every ABA program at Hopeful Therapies is designed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), supported by Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians who deliver daily sessions. Our clinical team currently includes five BCBAs and two BCaBAs, which is why we are able to run no waiting list for new assessments.
- Ashley Filipek, BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Ayendi Polite, BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Gilda Perez, BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Cristabel Rodriguez, BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Domanik Brack, BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
- Nadine Perez, BCaBA – Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst
- Destinee Nash, BCaBA – Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst
What BCBA and BCaBA mean for your child
A BCBA holds a graduate degree, has completed supervised fieldwork and has passed the certification exam administered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. A BCaBA holds an undergraduate-level certification and works under BCBA supervision. In practice this means the person writing your child’s treatment plan, setting the goals and reviewing the data is a credentialed clinician, and the therapist in the room with your child is trained and supervised by that same clinician.
One team, all the therapies your child needs
Our speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists sit in the same clinical meetings as our BCBAs. When a child receives ABA, speech, occupational and physical therapy under one roof, the goals reinforce each other instead of competing, and families reach therapeutic goals faster than when services are scattered across three or four different providers. Coordinating all of the needed therapies is the single biggest reason our families see progress sooner.
Easy to reach, six days a week
We are open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with extended hours designed around school and work schedules. Call (813) 655-8159, or use our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you. We speak English and Spanish.
Frequently asked questions about our team
Who will supervise my child’s ABA program?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from our clinical team will complete the assessment, write the treatment plan and supervise every technician who works with your child. You will meet your BCBA before therapy starts and you will have direct contact with that person throughout your child’s program.
How many BCBAs work at Hopeful Therapies?
We currently have five BCBAs and two BCaBAs on staff across our Brandon, Lakeland and Winter Haven clinics. Because we staff ahead of demand, we are able to schedule new assessments without a waiting list.
Is there a waiting list to be seen?
No. We do not keep a waiting list. Once your insurance benefits are verified we schedule your assessment, and most families are seen within days rather than months.
Will I speak to a person or to an automated system when I call?
A human being answers our phone during business hours and business days. We do not route caregivers into an answering machine or a phone tree when the office is open.
Does someone on the team speak Spanish?
Yes. Our leadership, clinical and front-office teams include native Spanish speakers, and our entire website is available in Spanish. You can request that your sessions and your parent training be conducted in Spanish.
How long has Hopeful Therapies been in business?
We open our fifth anniversary in October. Hopeful Therapies was founded in October 2021 and has grown from one location to three clinics serving Brandon, Lakeland and Winter Haven, Florida.
Can I meet the team before committing?
Yes. We encourage caregivers to tour the clinic, meet the BCBA who would supervise the program and ask questions before starting services. Call us to schedule a visit at the location closest to you.
Ready to start? Call (813) 655-8159 or see the insurance plans we accept. We work with Simply Healthcare, TriCare, Humana, Sunshine Health, Sunshine Health CMS, Florida KidCare, Step Up For Students, Ambetter and Molina Healthcare.
