Puerto Rico saw 17 new behavioral health providers added in the latest CMS NPI registry update, contributing less than 1% of the national total. This brings the island's total new providers this year to 21, with a total of 47 providers reflected in this week's update. This modest influx signals a gradual, rather than rapid, expansion of the behavioral health workforce in the territory.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows only 1 BCBA credential and 0 RBT credentials. This single BCBA holds additional credentials (MA, MS). The complete absence of RBTs in this update is notable, indicating a significant gap in the direct service provider tier crucial for delivering ABA therapy. This severe imbalance suggests a critical shortage of supervised implementers, which limits the capacity for ABA service delivery, even with a supervising BCBA.
Provider Demographics and Key Organizations
Of the 29 individual providers, 26 (90%) are female and 3 (10%) are male, aligning with the female-dominated trend often seen in behavioral health fields. Among organizational additions, "SALUD INTEGRAL EN LA MONTANA, INC" appeared 13 times, indicating a substantial presence and expansion by this single entity within Puerto Rico's behavioral health landscape. This suggests a reliance on a few larger organizations to meet service demands.
The limited growth in ABA credentials, particularly the lack of RBTs, highlights an ongoing challenge for expanding access to critical ABA services and building a robust workforce in Puerto Rico.
