Small Business Spotlight: Cairn Behavioral Health

"Looking back, the loan itself was important, but the coaching and support we received through Business Navigation were just as valuable. Gracia helped us become better business owners, and that impact continues to benefit our company today."
Owner: Erin J. Cox

Q&A with Co-Owner, Erin J. Cox

Give a high-level overview of your business.
Cairn Behavioral Health is a pediatric behavioral health provider located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We opened in August of 2025 and provide Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children and adolescents with behavioral, developmental, and emotional challenges. Our services include center-based, home-based, and community-based therapy, as well as caregiver support and social skills programming.

What makes us different is that we intentionally serve many children who struggle to access traditional ABA services, including those involved in or impacted by the foster care system. Our mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based care that helps children build the skills they need to be successful at home, in school, and in their communities.
 
How did the idea for your business come about? 
As educators, we saw too many children with complex behavioral and emotional needs falling through the cracks. We founded Cairn Behavioral Health to provide compassionate, evidence-based care that helps children build the skills they need to succeed at home, in school, and in life.

Describe your typical customer and what you love about your customers. 
We serve children and adolescents with behavioral, developmental, and emotional challenges, most of whom have been impacted by foster care. What inspires us most is their resilience and the opportunity to help them build the skills and confidence needed to succeed.

What led your business to seek out new/additional funding?
As first-time healthcare business owners, we had a vision but needed funding to make it a reality. CEF took the time to understand both our mission and business model. Their support helped us move from planning to opening our doors and serving families in our community.

Describe your difficulties in obtaining funding for your small business and how that impacted you and your business. 
As a healthcare startup, we faced significant upfront costs and challenges securing traditional funding. We chose not to bring on investors because we wanted to maintain control of our mission. CEF provided the capital needed to launch while staying true to our values.

What was your experience like in working with CEF?
Working with Gracia Medina was one of the highlights of our experience with CEF. She took the time to understand our vision, answer questions, and provide guidance far beyond the loan process. Her encouragement, practical advice, and genuine belief in us were invaluable as we launched CBH.

How did the funding you received from CEF make a difference for you, your employees, or even your community?
CEF's funding helped us turn an idea into reality by allowing us to secure a location, hire staff, and begin serving families. Less than a year later, we've outgrown our original space. Most importantly, it created access to services for children who often struggle to find support elsewhere.

What advice would you give to another small business owner going through the loan process?
Ask every question you can think of, and then ask a few more. Don't let fear stop you from moving forward. There will never be a perfect time to start. Find good people to guide you, keep learning, and take the leap. We certainly didn't have all the answers, but we're glad we did it.

Have you worked with our Business Navigation (coaching) team? What difference has working with them made for your business?  
Yes. We worked closely with Gracia Medina, and honestly, she has been a game changer for us.As first-time business owners, there were so many things we didn't know. We had experience leading teams, working with children and families, and understanding our industry, but running a business was a completely different challenge. Having someone who could answer questions, help us think through decisions, and point us toward resources was incredibly valuable.Gracia provided both practical guidance and encouragement. She helped us navigate obstacles, think strategically about growth, and stay focused on our long-term goals when the day-to-day challenges felt overwhelming. Knowing we had someone in our corner who genuinely cared about our success gave us confidence during a lot of uncertain moments.

Looking back, the loan itself was important, but the coaching and support we received through Business Navigation were just as valuable. Gracia helped us become better business owners, and that impact continues to benefit our company today.

What is something you're looking forward to in the next 3-6 months in your business? 
Less than a year after opening, we have outgrown our original space and are moving from 2,000 sq. ft. to nearly 10,000 sq. ft. We are excited to expand services, support more families, and continue meeting the growing need in our community.