South Dakota recorded 16 behavioral health providers in the latest CMS NPI registry update, with 6 of these being new this week. This represents 0% of the national weekly total, indicating a very small proportion of national growth in this specific update. All 6 new providers this week are also the total new providers for the year, suggesting a recent, albeit modest, increase in activity.
ABA Workforce Dynamics
Within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) sector, the data identifies 3 BCBA providers. However, only one explicitly lists "BCBA" as their credential, with the other two identified by their BCBA taxonomy. There are 0 RBT credentials and 0 dual BCBA+RBT credentials reported. This absence of RBTs, who typically provide direct ABA therapy under BCBA supervision, suggests a significant gap in the state's ABA workforce structure and potential challenges for scaling service delivery. Beyond ABA, other prominent credentials include 3 LPCs (Licensed Professional Counselors), 1 M.S., CF-SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist), and 1 MS, NCC (National Certified Counselor), reflecting a broader behavioral health landscape.
Provider Demographics
Of the 12 individual providers, the workforce is predominantly female, with 11 individuals (92%) identifying as female and 1 (8%) as male. This gender distribution aligns with national trends in the behavioral health field. The data did not identify any notable organizations appearing multiple times, suggesting a fragmented provider landscape rather than dominance by large multi-state chains.
The limited number of ABA providers, particularly the absence of RBTs, suggests significant challenges for ABA access and workforce development in South Dakota, highlighting a critical need for growth in direct service roles and supervisory capacity.
