Mississippi recorded 31 total behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, with 19 new registrations this week. This represents 0% of the national weekly total, indicating a very limited influx of new providers into the state's behavioral health landscape compared to other regions.
Workforce Composition and ABA Capacity
A closer look at credentials reveals a critical shortage within the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) sector. The data shows 0 BCBA credentials and only 1 RBT credential among the new individual registrants. Given that BCBAs are responsible for supervising RBTs, this absence of board-certified supervisors severely constrains the state's capacity to deliver and expand ABA services. The majority of credentialed individual providers are in other behavioral health fields, including 3 LPCs (Licensed Professional Counselors) and 3 PCMHTs (Provisional Certified Mental Health Therapists), indicating a broader focus on mental health counseling rather than specialized ABA for these new entries.
Demographics and Organizational Presence
Of the 25 individual providers registered, the workforce leans heavily female, with 20 (80%) identifying as female. 4 (16%) are male, and 1 (4%) identifies as nonbinary. This gender distribution aligns with broader trends seen across the behavioral health industry. The update included 6 organizations, but no single organization appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a dispersed entry of new entities rather than significant expansion by established multi-state chains.
The stark lack of BCBA registrations in Mississippi highlights significant challenges for expanding ABA access and building a robust, supervised ABA workforce in the state. This trend suggests that clinics aiming to grow their ABA services will face considerable hurdles in recruiting qualified supervisory staff.
