Tennessee added 55 behavioral health providers in the latest weekly CMS update, representing 1% of the national total. This consistent, albeit smaller, influx suggests steady growth in the state's behavioral health sector, with 48 individuals and 7 organizations joining the registry.
ABA Workforce Composition
Among individual providers, the update includes 3 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and 18 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). It's important to note that no individuals in this week's data held both BCBA and RBT credentials simultaneously. This 6-to-1 ratio of RBTs to BCBAs indicates a strong pipeline of direct service providers but also emphasizes the ongoing need for BCBA supervisors to ensure adequate clinical oversight. Additionally, two new organizations, SOARINGHIGH ABA TN LLC and ELEMENTS ABA THERAPY TN LLC, registered with a BCBA taxonomy, signaling growth in ABA service provision.
Provider Demographics
Of the 48 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with women accounting for 79% (38 individuals). Male providers represent 17% (8 individuals), and 2 individuals (4%) identify as nonbinary. No single organization appeared multiple times in this week's enrollments, suggesting a diverse range of new entities rather than expansion from existing multi-state chains.
This data suggests a growing workforce in Tennessee's behavioral health sector, particularly within ABA, highlighting the continuous need to balance RBT growth with sufficient BCBA supervision to support increasing service demand.
