Tennessee saw 102 behavioral health providers added in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, representing 1% of the national total. This steady, albeit smaller, influx indicates consistent growth in the state's behavioral health sector and ongoing efforts to meet local demand for services.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Focusing on the applied behavior analysis (ABA) workforce, the data shows 16 BCBA credentials and 31 RBT credentials. It is important to note that these categories are not mutually exclusive, as 3 individuals hold both BCBA and RBT credentials, signifying career advancement within the field. The ratio of RBTs to BCBAs, approximately 1.94 to 1, suggests a reasonably balanced supervision capacity compared to states with higher RBT-to-BCBA ratios, which is crucial for maintaining quality ABA service delivery.
Provider Demographics
Among the 88 individual providers registered, the workforce exhibits a clear gender distribution: 90% female, 8% male, and 2% nonbinary. This aligns with national trends showing a predominantly female workforce in behavioral health. The provided data did not highlight any specific organizations appearing multiple times in this week's update.
This consistent growth, particularly the balanced RBT-to-BCBA ratio, suggests a healthy, albeit modest, expansion of ABA services in Tennessee, supporting increased access to care for individuals needing behavioral health interventions.
