Puerto Rico saw 19 behavioral health providers added in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update. This represents 0% of the national weekly total, signaling a very modest influx of new professionals compared to other states and suggesting a developing or constrained behavioral health workforce market.
ABA and Behavioral Health Workforce
Within the applied behavior analysis field, the data shows 1 BCBA, 1 RBT, and 1 individual holding both BCBA and RBT credentials. This indicates the dual-credentialed provider is also counted within the BCBA and RBT totals, highlighting an extremely limited ABA workforce. Beyond ABA, the update also includes 2 M.D.s, 1 MSW, LCSW, 1 LCSW, and 1 TP, alongside other clinical social workers and psychologists, reflecting a broader mix of behavioral health disciplines.
Provider Demographics
Of the 12 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with 9 female providers accounting for 75%. Male providers total 3 individuals, making up 25%. No single organization appeared multiple times in this week's data. New providers are distributed across cities like San Juan, Caguas, and Penuelas.
The extremely low number of new ABA professionals, particularly BCBAs, suggests significant challenges for expanding access to ABA services and building a robust supervisory infrastructure in Puerto Rico.
