Montana saw 25 behavioral health providers added in the latest CMS NPI registry update, with 9 new enrollments this week. While this represents 0% of the national weekly total, it still indicates ongoing, albeit modest, activity within the state's behavioral health sector, with a mix of individual practitioners and organizations establishing their presence across various disciplines.
Credential Mix and Supervision Capacity
Within the applied behavior analysis field, the data shows 1 Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and 1 Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) among the new additions. Notably, 1 individual holds both BCBA and RBT credentials, a common career progression for those advancing from direct service to supervision. This limited number of new ABA-specific providers suggests that this week's NPI activity in Montana is not primarily driven by ABA workforce expansion, which typically sees a higher ratio of RBTs to BCBAs. More broadly, the update includes 4 Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) and 2 individuals with MSW degrees, alongside other professionals such as LCPCs and LMHCs, indicating a stronger influx of general mental health professionals this period.
Workforce Demographics
Of the 20 individual providers added, the workforce is overwhelmingly female, with 19 women accounting for 95%. Only 1 male provider was added, representing 5%. There were 5 organizational providers, but no specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a landscape of independent practices or smaller clinics. New providers are distributed across key population centers including Great Falls, Billings, Bozeman, Helena, and St Ignatius.
This week's data points to a modest, diverse expansion of Montana's overall behavioral health workforce, with a particular emphasis on social work and counseling rather than a significant surge in dedicated ABA professionals, which could impact access to ABA services in the state.
