Washington's behavioral health sector registered 242 providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, accounting for 3% of the national weekly total. This concentration of new NPIs signals active growth in the state's healthcare workforce. The cohort consists of 210 individuals and 32 organizations, with new provider activity centered in Seattle, Vancouver, and Everett.
ABA Workforce Growth
For ABA providers, the update shows a significant expansion at the technician level, with 40 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) added. They are joined by 11 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) identified by taxonomy. This creates a ratio of approximately 3.6 RBTs for every BCBA, a healthy figure for maintaining supervision standards. It is important to note that provider counts can overlap, as 42 providers in this update listed multiple taxonomies.
Demographics and Location
Among the new individual providers, women represent the vast majority at 78%. Male providers account for 18%, with the remaining 5% identifying as nonbinary. Beyond ABA, the update also included numerous Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSWs) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associates (LMHCAs), reflecting a broad expansion across the behavioral health spectrum.
This wave of new providers, particularly the large number of RBTs, points to a robust expansion of the direct-service workforce and a potential increase in ABA therapy access across Washington.
