Mississippi recorded 35 total behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, with 15 new additions this week. This activity accounts for 0% of the national weekly total, indicating a modest but consistent growth trajectory for the state's behavioral health workforce. While not a large influx compared to more populous states, these additions contribute to the ongoing development of local service capacity.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis sector, this update includes 1 Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and 4 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). The single BCBA also holds a state LBA license, which is crucial for independent practice and supervision in Mississippi. There were no providers identified with dual BCBA and RBT credentials in this specific dataset. The 4-to-1 ratio of RBTs to BCBAs, even with these small numbers, underscores the foundational need for more BCBAs to ensure adequate clinical supervision for RBTs delivering direct ABA services, which is vital for quality care and clinic scalability.
Provider Demographics
Looking at the 30 individual providers, the workforce shows a clear gender distribution: 23 are female, comprising 77%, while 7 are male, making up 23%. No nonbinary providers were listed in this week's update. Unlike states with dominant multi-state chains, no specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data for Mississippi, suggesting new individual practitioners or smaller, localized entities are driving the growth.
The limited number of new BCBAs, despite the presence of RBTs, highlights a persistent challenge in building out the supervisory infrastructure necessary for expanding ABA access and supporting clinic growth across Mississippi.
