Colorado added 105 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, representing 2% of the national total. This consistent contribution indicates a steady, albeit not explosive, growth in the state's behavioral health sector, reflecting ongoing demand for services.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis field, the update includes 44 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and 2 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). It's important to note that these credential counts may overlap with other professional taxonomies. There were no providers identified with dual BCBA and RBT credentials in this week's data. The significant 22-to-1 ratio of RBTs to BCBAs suggests a potential bottleneck in supervision capacity, which is crucial for quality ABA service delivery, or a strong influx of entry-level technicians preparing for future BCBA certification.
Provider Demographics
Among the 85 individual providers, the workforce shows a clear gender distribution: 60 providers (71%) are female, 19 providers (22%) are male, and 6 providers (7%) identify as nonbinary. No organizations appeared multiple times in this week's update, indicating a diverse range of new entities rather than expansion from existing multi-state chains.
The high ratio of RBTs to BCBAs, coupled with the overall modest growth, suggests that while Colorado is expanding its direct service capacity, ensuring adequate supervision will be key to maintaining quality and access in ABA.
