Arkansas recorded 75 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update, representing 1% of the national total. This relatively small share suggests a more localized or emerging growth pattern compared to larger states, but still indicates ongoing development in the state's behavioral health sector.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data reveals 3 BCBA credentials and 24 RBT credentials. Notably, no individuals hold both BCBA and RBT credentials in this update. The significant ratio of RBTs to BCBAs highlights a critical need for BCBA supervision, which can strain existing supervisors and potentially limit the capacity for RBTs to deliver direct services, thus impacting ABA access.
Provider Demographics
Of the 67 individual providers, 54 (81%) are female, 12 (18%) are male, and 1 (1%) identifies as nonbinary. This gender distribution aligns with national trends in behavioral health. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's data, suggesting a diverse range of smaller practices or individual practitioners rather than dominant multi-state chains.
This data indicates a steady, albeit modest, expansion of the behavioral health workforce in Arkansas, with a particular emphasis on direct service providers in ABA, underscoring the ongoing need for supervisory capacity.
