Built by operators. For operators.
"The Wilkinson Firm exists for one reason. To give health and human services organizations the workforce infrastructure they deserve but were never built to create on their own."
Daryan Wilkinson
Daryan saw what the rest of the industry couldn't articulate: HHS organizations running essential services without the workforce infrastructure to sustain them. With a background in conflict resolution, sales, and an instinct for building systems that put people first, he identified the gap and built the solution from scratch.
Every proprietary framework, every diagnostic tool, every program at TWF came from that vision. He rallied a team of specialists, advisors, and operators who believed in the mission and built an entirely new category of HR consulting for health and human services.
The Founder's Story
Daryan Wilkinson sat down with The Growth Switch Podcast to share how The Wilkinson Firm was born, what drives its mission, and why the work is personal. Visit our media room to see Daryan's podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and press features.
Healing the People That Heal the People
Daryan Wilkinson saw something the industry couldn't name. Clinical founders doing extraordinary work with patients, building organizations that change lives, but running them without the workforce infrastructure to keep the people who deliver the care.
These were providers who could handle complex trauma cases but had no system for compensation design, compliance frameworks, or developing their supervisors into leaders.
The economics made it worse. Behavioral health providers operate on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement rates set by the state. There is no room in those margins for a Fortune 500 HR department. Daryan identified the gap: these organizations needed enterprise-grade HR built for their reality, not priced out of reach.
Understand the workforce challenges that shaped us in Our Why—the specific HHS labor problems we were built to fix.
"We said, you know what, we're going to build the Ferrari for you. We're going to price it like a Volvo. And we're going to drive it into every garage of the clinicians and providers that we can find and actually try to help. This is healing the people that heal the people."
Nobody Else Is Doing This
Before building anything, Daryan studied the landscape. He looked at every HR consulting firm, every staffing agency, every workforce advisory that touched behavioral health. The finding confirmed what his instinct already told him: nobody was providing dedicated, full-service HR infrastructure specifically for health and human services providers.
That gap was not an accident. Behavioral health is complex. The regulatory environment is layered. The reimbursement structures are unique. Most HR firms steer clear because the margins are tight and the learning curve is steep.
Daryan saw it differently. Where others saw complexity, he saw a category waiting to be created. The need was urgent, the mission aligned with his values, and the opportunity to build something lasting was wide open.
"We found after two, three years of research that there's no one else servicing this industry from that standpoint. It just so happened to be something that we care about, aligned with something that no one else is doing, which aligned with something that could potentially be a growth stage for us. Those three things made a perfect trifecta."
Outwork the Room, Every Single Day
Building The Wilkinson Firm was not a smooth ride from day one. Daryan came from a background where nothing was given. Every client, every relationship, every ounce of trust was earned through consistent execution and relentless presence.
His philosophy is simple: if you want to 10x your company, 10x your execution. Do ten times more than what you are getting paid for. Never run from the opportunity to add value.
That mindset is embedded in how TWF operates. The firm does not disappear after delivering a handbook. It stays. It trains. It runs the systems alongside its clients for 90 days post-delivery because the work only counts if it holds.
"Most people get stuck on the first thing. But trust me, the gold is the second and third thing. We cannot get hung up on the entry level stuff. From zero to one, yes, it is hard. But go out every single day, have three meaningful conversations a day. You do that every day for months on end. You will be a household figure."
Watch the Full Interview
Daryan sat down with Jules Fox on The Growth Switch Podcast to share the full story behind The Wilkinson Firm.
Featured on The Growth Switch Podcast by Ariz Media · April 2025
Our Core Values
These are not aspirational. They are operational. Every engagement, every hire, every decision passes through these seven standards before it moves forward.
Growth Mindset
The organizations we serve are evolving. So are we. We invest in learning, adapt our frameworks, and push the boundaries of what HR infrastructure can do for Health and Human Services. Standing still is not an option when the people you serve depend on you getting better.
Why We Only Serve Health and Human Services
Every HR consulting firm says they understand your industry. We built ours inside of it. Our team includes a former EEOC Administrative Law Judge, employment attorneys, licensed clinical professionals, PHR-certified specialists, and compliance advisors who have spent their careers in behavioral health, substance use treatment, IDD services, and community health organizations.
We do not serve restaurants. We do not serve tech companies. We do not serve retail. We serve HHS organizations because the stakes are different here. When your workforce fails, vulnerable people lose access to care. That is why we built every tool, every program, and every process specifically for this sector.
Why we exist
Behavioral health organizations are built by clinicians. These founders know how to treat people. They understand trauma. They can handle complex cases. They have the clinical judgment to lead their teams.
But they were never trained to build HR systems. They were never taught to design compensation structures, create compliance frameworks, or develop supervisors. HR was learned on the job. Usually the hard way.
The result: Organizations with outstanding clinical leadership operating with outdated, disconnected HR practices. Turnover rates exceeding 60%. Compliance risks. Supervisors struggling to manage teams. Burned out leaders trying to do jobs they were never trained for.
That is what we fix. We bring enterprise-grade HR practice to organizations that were built by clinicians. We do the work that allows clinical leaders to focus on what they do best. We build the infrastructure that lets your organization scale.
We do this because workforce is the most expensive line item in your budget. It is also your biggest competitive advantage. When done right, it transforms everything.
What Makes Us Different
SCAN. BUILD. STAY.™
Nine proprietary frameworks and tools. One integrated system. No other HR firm serving health and human services has built anything like it.
SCAN
The Workup™ assesses your workforce across 8 dimensions. You get a score, a risk map, and a clear starting point.
BUILD
Your Workup™ results map to 1-4 TWF Signature Programs™. Defined deliverables, defined timelines, defined outcomes.
STAY
We run the system with you. Ongoing partnership, not a handoff.
The People Behind Your Transformation
Daryan Wilkinson
Identified the gap nobody else could articulate: HHS organizations running essential services without workforce infrastructure. Built every proprietary system from scratch, rallied the team, and created an entirely new category of HR consulting for the sector.
Mike Kipphorn, PHR
PHR-certified strategist driving TWF’s implementation methodology and enterprise partnerships. Ensures every engagement begins with complete alignment on scope, outcomes, and accountability.
We were built on four pillars
Legal Expertise
Our team includes a former EEOC Administrative Law Judge and employment attorneys with decades of experience. We understand discrimination law, wage and hour requirements, multi-state compliance, and regulatory frameworks. When your organization faces legal risk, we have the expertise to protect you.
Clinical Insight
We have run behavioral health operations. We have managed clinicians. We understand what therapists need to be successful. We know what payers demand. We know how burnout happens and how to prevent it. This is not generic HR. This is HR built for your sector.
Certified HR Professionals
Our team includes PHR-certified and licensed clinical professionals. We bring professional-grade HR practice to organizations of all sizes. We follow best practices. We stay current on trends. We know what works in our sector.
Sector Focused
We work exclusively in health and human services. We know CARF standards. We understand Medicaid operations. We speak HIPAA and compliance language. We focus on the sectors that matter. We do not dilute our expertise across multiple industries. You get specialists who understand your world.
Our Team
Operators, attorneys, clinicians, and specialists with real-world experience in health and human services.
James Lewis, Esq.
Senior Advisor, Employment Law / Former EEOC ALJ
Former Administrative Law Judge, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Advises TWF on employment disputes, compliance risk, and regulatory strategy.
Dion Beatty, JD, MBA
Employment Attorney / Legal Counsel
Employment law attorney supporting TWF clients on worker classification, termination risk, and regulatory compliance across HHS settings.
Michael Berger
Industry Operations Specialist
32 years of operational leadership at Nissan. Brings enterprise-scale workforce systems thinking to HHS organizations building durable infrastructure.
Beverly King, LCMHCS
Clinical Workforce Advisor
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. Former UnitedHealth Group. Advises on clinical team development, supervision structures, and burnout prevention.
Amy Ford, LCMHC
Medicaid Workforce Advisor
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with deep Medicaid operations expertise. Supports program delivery for organizations navigating complex payer requirements.
Gillian Utesch
VP, Sales and Marketing
Leads TWF market positioning, content strategy, and brand presence. Drives sector awareness through thought leadership, digital strategy, and targeted HHS outreach campaigns.
Annise Bradley
Director of Community Partnerships
Leads the Workforce Partnership Exchange program and TWF’s community partnership strategy. Builds and maintains the peer network that connects HHS organizations for shared learning.
If you're passionate about HHS transformation, see our open positions and what it's like to build with us.
By the numbers
See what we can do for your organization
20 minutes. No obligation. No pitch. Just a conversation.
For organizations seeking deep partnership, learn about our Workforce Partnership Elite program—select and mission-aligned.