Minnesota saw a total of 129 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, contributing 1% of the national weekly total. Of these, 70 were new this week. This indicates a smaller but actively growing behavioral health sector in the state, with a notable portion of recent additions.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows 5 BCBA credentials and 46 RBT credentials. There were no individuals holding both BCBA and RBT credentials in this update. The significant ratio of RBTs to BCBAs (nearly 9 RBTs per BCBA) points to a robust direct service workforce, but also highlights a potential need for more BCBAs to ensure adequate supervision capacity, a critical factor for quality ABA therapy and RBT career progression. Beyond ABA, other prominent behavioral health credentials include 6 LICSWs and 5 LPCCs.
Provider Demographics
Of the 111 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with 80 individuals (72%) identifying as female, 21 (19%) as male, and 10 (9%) as nonbinary. This gender distribution is consistent with broader trends in the behavioral health field. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a diverse employer landscape rather than dominance by large multi-state chains among these new enrollments.
The ongoing growth, particularly among RBTs, and the diverse professional mix in Minnesota's behavioral health sector are crucial for expanding access to services, though BCBA supervision capacity remains a key area for development.
