Arkansas registered 111 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, accounting for 1% of the national total. This consistent, albeit smaller, contribution to the national weekly additions signals a steady, localized growth in the state's behavioral health workforce, indicating ongoing efforts to expand access to care.
ABA Workforce Composition
Focusing on the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows 3 BCBA credentials and 35 RBT credentials. It is important to note that these figures are not mutually exclusive, as 1 individual holds both BCBA and RBT credentials, representing a career progression from direct service to supervisory roles. The resulting ratio of approximately 11.6 RBTs for every BCBA highlights a significant need for more BCBA-level supervision capacity to support the growing RBT workforce and ensure quality ABA service delivery across the state.
Provider Demographics and Organizational Activity
Among the 97 individual providers registered, 81% are female, 16% are male, and 2% identify as nonbinary. This gender distribution aligns with national trends in the behavioral health field. No specific organization appeared multiple times in this week's new registrations, suggesting a diverse range of smaller practices or individual practitioners rather than significant expansion from a single large entity, though Blue Sprig Pediatrics was noted once.
This data suggests Arkansas is actively expanding its behavioral health workforce, particularly at the RBT level, which is crucial for increasing ABA service availability, but also points to a potential bottleneck in supervisory capacity.
