Hawaii added 17 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update. While this represents less than 1% of the national weekly total, for a smaller state like Hawaii, any new additions contribute directly to local service capacity and workforce expansion.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis field, the update shows 16 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) joining the workforce, with no new Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) or individuals holding dual BCBA+RBT credentials. This significant influx of RBTs without corresponding BCBA additions points to a critical imbalance in the ABA workforce pipeline. RBTs provide direct, hands-on therapy, but their services require supervision from BCBAs. The absence of new BCBAs this week suggests a growing need for supervisory capacity to support these new technicians and ensure quality service delivery. Additionally, one organization, NA KAI COUNSELING & WELLNESS LLC, was added, categorized as a Mental Health Counselor, indicating broader behavioral health growth beyond ABA.
Provider Demographics
Among the 16 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with 13 women accounting for 81%. Three male providers make up the remaining 19%. No organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, indicating a diverse set of new individual practitioners rather than expansion from a single large entity.
This week's data underscores a clear trend in Hawaii: a robust entry of direct service providers in ABA, but a bottleneck at the supervisory level. For ABA clinic operators, this signals an urgent need to attract and retain BCBAs to meet supervision requirements and expand access to care for clients across the state.
