Kimberly Coden, the former director of an autism center in Brighton, admitted to several felony charges stemming from her years pretending to be a healthcare professional specialized in autism treatment. According to a Livingston Daily report, Coden, 38, pleaded guilty in Livingston County to unauthorized practice of a health profession, identity theft, and witness intimidation.
Coden falsely claimed to be a board-certified behavior analyst while working at Oxford Recovery Center, which operates facilities in Brighton and Troy; she also spent time at Centria Health Care and Positive Behavior Supports Corporation, during which she, used a counterfeit Behavior Analyst Certification Board certificate and invoked actual certification numbers from a valid state license, despite not being licensed in Michigan or possessing the appropriate educational credentials; this information was detailed by Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel, as per the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
The charges against Coden included six counts of the Unauthorized Practice of a Health Profession, two counts of Identity Theft, and one count of Intimidation or Interfering with a witness, crimes that carry potential punishments of imprisonment and hefty fines. Tami Peterson, Oxford Recovery Center's founder and CEO, argued that the charges against Coden did not reflect her time with the company and denounced the allegations as a "witch hunt", as cited by Livingston Daily, emphasizing that Coden only served in an administrative capacity, not as a health professional.
Attorney General Nessel underscored the importance of leaving the treatment of children requiring specialized care to certified and licensed practitioners, stating the dedication of the office to safeguard against the harm unlicensed practitioners could potentially cause due to their lack of specialized training, and with Coden's sentencing scheduled for December 3, she is currently being housed at Livingston County Jail as she awaits the court's decision, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
