West Virginia saw 82 new behavioral health providers added in the latest weekly CMS NPI registry update, representing 1% of the national total. This modest number suggests a steady, localized growth in the state's behavioral health workforce rather than a rapid expansion. Of these, 63 were new this week.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) field, the update shows 1 provider explicitly holding a BCBA credential and 2 providers with an RBT credential. There were no individuals reported with dual BCBA and RBT credentials this week. This very low ratio of BCBAs to RBTs (1:2) among new registrants indicates a significant bottleneck for supervision capacity, which is crucial for delivering ABA services. It suggests that while there's some growth in direct service providers (RBTs), the supervisory infrastructure (BCBAs) is not keeping pace, potentially limiting the expansion of ABA access in the state.
Provider Demographics
Of the 76 individual providers registered, the workforce leans predominantly female, with 54 individuals (71%) identifying as female. Male providers account for 19 individuals (25%), and 3 individuals (4%) identify as nonbinary. The update included 6 new organizations, but no specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data.
Overall, this week's data points to a broader expansion of general behavioral health roles in West Virginia, with specific ABA growth remaining limited, underscoring ongoing challenges for increasing specialized ABA access.
