Montana saw 31 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, representing less than 1% of the national weekly total. This modest concentration suggests a smaller, potentially underserved market compared to more populous states, impacting the availability of specialized services like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
ABA Workforce Snapshot
The data reveals a critical shortage in the state's ABA workforce, with only 1 provider holding a BCBA credential and 0 RBT credentials reported. There were also no individuals with dual BCBA+RBT credentials. This lack of credentialed ABA professionals, particularly RBTs who provide direct care under BCBA supervision, suggests significant barriers to establishing or expanding ABA services in Montana. The absence of RBTs means there is no direct service capacity for ABA, and the single BCBA would have no RBTs to supervise even if they were actively providing ABA services.
Provider Demographics
Of the 18 individual providers registered, the workforce is predominantly female, with 15 individuals (83%) identifying as female and 3 individuals (17%) as male. The remaining 13 providers were organizations. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this update.
This limited influx of ABA-specific credentials, alongside a general low volume of new behavioral health providers, suggests that Montana faces ongoing challenges in building a robust ABA workforce to meet potential demand for services.
