Michigan Woman Accused of Impersonating Therapist And Treating Autistic Children

A woman from Michigan is facing allegations that she pretended to be a licensed therapist so that she could treat youngsters at a rehabilitation facility in Brighton who had been diagnosed with autism.

According to the announcement made by the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Kimberly Casey Coden-Diskin, 34, of Oakland County, has been arraigned in the 53rd District Court in Livingston County on charges of 16 counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession, which are punishable by up to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine; and two counts of identity theft, which are punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. 

“People who impersonate credentialed medical staff in order to treat children create the potential for great harm,” according to a statement made by Attorney General Dana Nessel. “I will not tolerate those who put children at risk and will prosecute those that do to the fullest extent of the law.”

At the Oxford Recovery Center in Brighton, Massachusetts, Coden-Diskin began working in the year 2018. It is claimed that while she was employed, she misrepresented herself to others as a Body-Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA), despite the fact that she did not possess this certification from the professional oversight board.

In addition to this, it is said that Coden-Diskin did not get the necessary license as required by the state of Michigan.

Through the use of business cards, verbal declarations, and written documentation, it is alleged that Coden-Diskin presented herself to others as a professional and licensed behavioral analyst.

It is claimed that she forged a certificate in her own name using the certification number of a state-certified individual in order to pass herself off as a genuine behavioral analyst.

It is said that she worked with children who had a diagnosis of autism and their parents, a position that calls both a certification and license, both of which it is believed that she falsified.

The probable cause hearing for Coden-Diskin is planned to take place on August 23, and a preliminary examination is set to take place on August 30.

This investigation was conducted by the Health Care Fraud Division (HCFD) of the Attorney General’s Office, which is Michigan’s nationally accredited Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.