It didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a calling—a calling to lead, to love, to heal, and to serve. Especially the people who are too often overlooked, misunderstood, or dismissed.
Before RIZO Services had a name, it was a burden. The kind that keeps you awake at night, thinking about the kids who just want someone to love them and spend time with them. The young girls who are carrying pain far too heavy for their age. The parents who are doing their best but feeling lost, stuck in a cycle of guilt and regret.
It was about more than systems—it was about people. People working in schools and clinics—teachers, principals, special education directors—doing everything they can with too few resources and not nearly enough support.
On the front lines of that burden were two people—Jonathan and Melissa Rizo. Serving in education and healthcare, they felt the weight of it all… and they answered the call. Not because it was easy, but because God called them to it.
And so, RIZO Services was born—not out of ambition, but out of deep compassion and unwavering purpose.
From Chaos to Clarity
Jonathan didn’t take the expected route. He was always the kind to push boundaries, see patterns, and run toward the messy situations others avoided.
“I loved the tough cases,” he says. “The wild ones, the broken ones—the ones that reminded me of who I used to be.”
Melissa, steady and sharp, was building her own path as a licensed clinical social worker—driven, thoughtful, and deeply committed to families. Together, their differences became their superpower. It wasn’t long before they realized they weren’t just called to work in the system; they were called to change it.
Creating Change Takes Courage
For the Rizos, it meant stepping into the homes others avoided—working with the families and children most often judged or written off. It meant facing the most difficult behaviors and helping people discover healing in places they never thought possible.
They walked into situations filled with fear, uncertainty, and doubt—where even professionals questioned whether change was possible. And they stayed.
RIZO Services wasn’t born from business plans or titles. It came from feeling the pain of the people—and letting that pain move them to action.
This work isn’t just about treatment. It’s about healing.
It’s about walking into chaos—tantrums, trauma, exhaustion—and becoming a partner, a steady hand, a lifeline.
It’s about telling parents: You’re not a hostage in your own home. Let us help you rebuild it.
It’s about treating the whole family—not just a diagnosis.
Faith Is the Framework
From the beginning, the Rizos knew their work was ministry—even if it wasn’t in a church building. Their faith taught them to serve the overlooked, love the unlovable, and never retire from a calling. That spirit runs deep in everything RIZO Services does. From in-home ABA therapy to school consulting and psychological evaluations, the mission remains the same:
- Meet people where they are.
- Love them through it.
- And build something better together.
What Makes RIZO Different
- We believe in relationships over routines. Our therapists build connection first, because progress only happens when trust is present.
- We treat families, not just symptoms. Every service we provide is rooted in the bigger picture: healing homes and empowering parents.
- We operate from faith, not fear. This work is hard. It’s messy. But we’re built for it—and we believe every life can be transformed with truth, structure, and love.
Looking Ahead
Today, RIZO Services supports families across Kern County through ABA therapy, psychological and psychoeducational evaluations, counseling, and school partnerships. But our growth has never been about profit; it’s been about purpose.
We grow only to meet the need. We expand only when we can build a strong team to carry the mission forward.
That’s why we spend time investing in our employees—training them before they ever step into a home or classroom—because the quality of care begins with the quality of people.
Our heart hasn’t changed:
- Build a team.
- Build people.
- Build families.
- Build futures.
Welcome to RIZO Services. We’re truly honored you’re here.
