North Dakota saw a modest addition of 32 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry weekly update. This represents 0% of the national total for the week, indicating a minimal contribution to the national workforce expansion. Of these, 18 providers were new this week, suggesting a slow but steady growth rather than a significant surge in the state's behavioral health workforce.
ABA Workforce and Credential Mix
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data shows 0 BCBA credentials and 3 RBT credentials among the new additions. The absence of new BCBAs, who are responsible for supervising RBTs, is a critical observation. This lack of supervisory capacity among newly registered providers could pose a challenge for expanding ABA services, as RBTs require BCBA oversight to deliver care. Beyond ABA, the state also added 3 LPCCs, 2 SLPs, and 2 LAPCs, reflecting a broader mix of behavioral health professionals.
Provider Demographics
Of the 26 individual providers registered, the workforce continues to be predominantly female, with 23 individuals (88%) identifying as female and 3 individuals (12%) as male. This gender distribution aligns with established trends across the behavioral health industry. The update also included 6 new organizations, though no single entity appeared multiple times to suggest a dominant employer expanding significantly this week. New providers are concentrated in cities such as Bismarck, Fargo, Dickinson, Minot, and Williston.
This data suggests a very limited expansion of the ABA workforce in North Dakota, particularly concerning supervisory capacity, indicating ongoing challenges for access to specialized services in the state.
