Missouri saw a total of 421 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, with 59 new enrollments this week. This represents 2% of the national weekly total, indicating a steady, albeit moderate, expansion of the state's behavioral health workforce. Of these, 400 were individual practitioners and 21 were organizations, reflecting diverse growth across the sector.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) segment, the data shows 10 providers holding BCBA credentials and 29 holding RBT credentials. It is important to note that these counts reflect individuals holding these specific certifications, and some providers may hold multiple credentials not explicitly captured as a "dual BCBA+RBT" combination in this dataset, which shows 0 dual BCBA+RBT credentials as a single string. The ratio of BCBAs to RBTs, approximately 1 BCBA for every 2.9 RBTs, suggests a relatively strong supervision capacity. This is crucial for maintaining quality ABA therapy and supporting RBT professional development, and this ratio is favorable compared to states where RBT growth significantly outpaces BCBA supervision.
Provider Demographics and Notable Organizations
The individual provider workforce in Missouri exhibits a clear gender distribution: 286 female (72%) and 114 male (28%). This aligns with national trends showing a female-dominated behavioral health field. Among organizations, "OZARKS MEDICAL CENTER" appeared 4 times and "SLPH, LLC" appeared 3 times, suggesting these entities are active in expanding their behavioral health services or have multiple NPIs for different service lines or locations.
This continued growth in Missouri's behavioral health professionals, particularly the balanced expansion within the ABA sector, is vital for enhancing access to critical services and meeting the evolving demands for mental health and developmental support across the state.
