South Dakota saw 12 total behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, with 6 new providers added this week. The state represented 0% of the national total, indicating a modest contribution to the national workforce expansion during this period, typical for states with smaller populations.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows 1 BCBA credential and 0 RBT credentials. This single BCBA is associated with an organization, "WAY ABOVE ABA SD LLC," which lists "BCBA" as its taxonomy. The complete absence of RBTs among the new registrations suggests a very limited direct-service ABA workforce under supervision, indicating that specialized ABA services in the state may be nascent or primarily delivered by other credentialed mental health professionals.
Provider Demographics and Organizational Presence
Of the 9 individual providers registered, 7 are female, accounting for 78%, while 2 are male, representing 22%. This gender distribution is consistent with broader trends in the behavioral health field. The update also included 3 organizations. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's new registrations.
The low number of ABA-specific credentials, particularly the lack of RBTs, suggests that access to specialized ABA services in South Dakota may be significantly limited, potentially relying on a broader range of mental health professionals for behavioral support.
