Washington D.C. saw a total of 47 behavioral health providers appear in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update. While this figure represents 0% of the national weekly total, indicating a very small fraction, the district still added 24 new providers this week. This growth includes 37 individual providers and 10 organizations, suggesting a consistent, albeit modest, expansion of the behavioral health workforce within the confined urban landscape.
Credential Mix and Supervision Capacity
In terms of ABA-specific credentials, the data reveals 7 individuals with RBT taxonomy, but notably, 0 BCBA credentials were listed. There were also no providers holding dual BCBA and RBT credentials. The absence of newly registered BCBAs is a significant concern for the ABA industry, as RBTs require direct supervision from BCBAs to deliver services. This imbalance highlights a potential bottleneck for increasing access to quality ABA therapy, as the supervisory capacity appears limited. Beyond ABA, the district also registered providers with other behavioral health credentials, including 1 LICSW, 1 HHA, 1 PHD, LCSW, 1 LGSW, 1 CCC-SLP, 1 CNA, and 1 LPC.
Workforce Demographics
The individual provider workforce in Washington D.C. shows a clear gender distribution, with 21 female providers accounting for 57%, while 16 male providers make up 43%. No organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a diverse array of smaller practices or new entries rather than expansion from dominant multi-state chains. Additionally, 18 providers hold multiple taxonomies, indicating a broader scope of practice for a significant portion of the workforce.
Overall, this data suggests a growing but critically undersupplied ABA workforce in Washington D.C., where the lack of BCBAs could severely impede service expansion despite the addition of new RBTs and other behavioral health professionals.
