The director of services at the Oxford Recovery Center has pleaded guilty to impersonation of a public official and witness intimidation, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office announced.
Kimberly Coden, 38, of Berkeley, is charged with six counts of unlicensed practice of health care, two counts of identity theft and one count of intimidation or witness tampering.
Coden is currently being held in the Livingston County Jail pending sentencing on December 3.
Officials say Coden claimed to be a certified behavior analyst, but she was not licensed by the state of Michigan and did not have the required training. Officials say she also used her behavior analyst certification to obtain jobs at Centria Health Care, the Positive Behavior Supports Corporation, and later the Oxford Recovery Center.
Coden is said to have intimidated a witness via text message to prevent her from testifying against her.
“The treatment of children who require intensive intervention or care must remain in the hands of certified and licensed professionals,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “My office will remain vigilant to protect children from unlicensed physicians who can cause tremendous harm to children due to their lack of specialized training.”
