Arkansas's behavioral health sector saw 98 providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, representing 1% of the national total. Of these, 49 were new this week, indicating a modest but consistent growth in the state's provider base.
ABA Workforce Composition
Focusing on the applied behavior analysis (ABA) workforce, the data shows 4 BCBAs and 30 RBTs. It is important to note that these credential counts can overlap, as 1 individual holds both BCBA and RBT credentials, a common career progression. This results in a supervision ratio of 7.5 RBTs per BCBA, which is within typical guidelines, but the small absolute numbers highlight a nascent ABA workforce in Arkansas.
Provider Demographics
Of the 87 individual providers in this update, 75 (86%) are female and 12 (14%) are male, reflecting a common gender distribution in the behavioral health field. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's registry additions.
This data suggests that while Arkansas is seeing growth in its behavioral health workforce, particularly at the RBT level, increasing the number of BCBA supervisors will be crucial for expanding access to ABA services across the state.
