Rhode Island added 16 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, contributing a small fraction (less than 1%) to the national weekly total. This brings the state's total providers identified in this update to 38, with 33 individuals and 5 organizations. This modest number reflects the state's smaller geographic footprint and population compared to larger states, indicating a more localized behavioral health market.
Credential Mix and Supervision Capacity
Within the ABA workforce, the data identifies 3 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and 11 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) by credential. It is important to note that these counts reflect primary credentials, and some providers may hold additional certifications or taxonomies. For instance, 9 providers in the state hold multiple taxonomies, indicating a diverse skill set. There were no providers with dual BCBA and RBT credentials identified in this update. The ratio of RBTs to BCBAs, approximately 3.6:1, suggests a limited supervisory capacity for expanding direct ABA services, which is a common challenge in smaller markets.
Workforce Demographics
Among the 33 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with 29 women comprising 88%. Male providers account for 3 individuals, or 9%, while 1 individual identifies as nonbinary, making up 3%. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a fragmented or localized provider landscape rather than dominance by large multi-state chains.
This data suggests that while Rhode Island has a dedicated, albeit smaller, behavioral health workforce, the limited number of BCBAs relative to RBTs may pose a bottleneck for scaling ABA services and access within the state.
