Hawaii saw 29 behavioral health providers added in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, representing 0% of the national total. This modest weekly expansion included 15 new providers this week, contributing to 18 new this year, with 26 individuals and 3 organizations making up the total. This small fraction underscores the limited weekly growth in the state's behavioral health workforce.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows 3 BCBA credentials and 14 RBT credentials. No individuals held both BCBA and RBT credentials in this update. The resulting ratio of nearly five RBTs for every BCBA highlights a significant demand for direct service providers but also points to a potential strain on supervisory capacity. Adequate BCBA supervision is essential for maintaining the quality of ABA services and supporting RBT professional growth, suggesting a critical need for more BCBAs in the state.
Provider Demographics
Of the 26 individual providers, 21 (81%) are female, 3 (12%) are male, and 2 (8%) identify as nonbinary. This gender distribution aligns with broader trends in the behavioral health field. No organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a diverse, rather than concentrated, organizational expansion.
This data suggests that while Hawaii is adding direct care staff, the relatively low number of BCBAs could challenge the state's ability to expand ABA access and ensure consistent, high-quality supervision across its growing RBT workforce.
