Chicago's behavioral health sector saw 107 providers registered in the latest CMS NPI registry update, with 36 new registrations this week alone. This represents 1% of the national weekly total, indicating Chicago's consistent contribution to the country's behavioral health workforce. Of these, 89 are individual practitioners and 18 are organizations.
ABA Credential Landscape
Within the individual practitioners, the data shows 4 BCBAs and 12 RBTs. The ratio of one BCBA for every three RBTs suggests a growing direct-service workforce, but also highlights a potential need for more supervisory capacity to maintain optimal service delivery ratios in ABA clinics. No providers in this update held dual BCBA and RBT credentials. Beyond ABA, the update also included 16 LCSWs, 8 LCPCs, 5 LPCs, and 5 providers holding MSW, LCSW credentials, reflecting a diverse behavioral health landscape.
Workforce Demographics
The individual provider workforce in Chicago is predominantly female, with 73 female providers making up 82% of the total. There were 15 male providers, accounting for 17%, and 1 nonbinary provider, representing 1%. No specific organizations appeared multiple times in this week's registry update.
This influx of both ABA and other mental health professionals suggests a dynamic and expanding behavioral health workforce in Chicago, which could support increased access to a broader range of care for local residents.
