Missouri saw 25 new behavioral health providers added in the latest weekly CMS NPI registry update, representing 1% of the national total. All were new this week, indicating a consistent, albeit smaller, influx of professionals into the state's behavioral health landscape.
ABA Workforce Composition
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) field, this week's data shows 8 new Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) but 0 new Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). There were also no providers with dual BCBA and RBT credentials. This imbalance, with RBTs entering the workforce without corresponding BCBA supervisors from this week's enrollments, highlights a potential bottleneck for ABA service expansion and access in Missouri, as RBTs require direct BCBA oversight. Beyond ABA, the update also includes other behavioral health professionals such as Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), and Provisional Licensed Professional Counselors (PLPC).
Provider Demographics
Of the 22 individual providers, the workforce is overwhelmingly female, with 95% (21 women) and 5% (1 male provider). The update also included 3 new organizations. No single organization appeared multiple times in this week's enrollments. The high proportion of female providers is consistent with national trends in behavioral health.
The current data suggests a growing pool of direct service providers in ABA, but the absence of new BCBAs this week indicates a critical need for supervisory capacity to support these RBTs and ensure continued growth in ABA service delivery across Missouri.
