If I had to summarize the biggest takeaway from this year's ABA C.A.R.E.S. Summit in one sentence, it would be this:
Across conversations with providers, owners, clinical leaders, HR professionals, and operations teams, one reality was impossible to ignore. Demand for ABA services continues to grow, yet the availability of qualified clinicians has not kept pace.As a result, workforce strategy has become one of the most important growth strategies in the industry today.
Here are five themes that stood out most to me.
For years, workforce challenges have been discussed as HR problems, but ABA leaders increasingly recognize that staffing challenges directly impact their ability to grow.
Most organizations know there is community demand for services. They know there are families waiting for care. They know they could expand programs, add locations, or increase caseload capacity.
The challenge is finding and retaining the clinicians required to support that growth.
The conversation has shifted from "How do we fill open positions?" to "How do we build a workforce engine capable of supporting long-term growth?
The organizations that answer that question will be the ones that gain market share over the next several years.
One of the most common topics discussed throughout the conference was turnover. But many of the strongest leaders weren't treating retention as an exit problem, they were treating it as an employee experience problem.
Retention is influenced by dozens of decisions made long before someone resigns:
By the time an employee starts looking elsewhere, the real causes of turnover often began months earlier.
The organizations with the strongest retention rates are paying attention to every stage of the employee journey.
During my panel discussion, we explored the unintended consequences of poorly implemented technology. The topic clearly resonated because nearly everyone had experienced it firsthand.
Most ABA leaders aren't looking for more technology. They're looking for fewer headaches.
Technology should make life easier for clinicians, supervisors, recruiters, and administrators. When systems are disconnected, difficult to navigate, or create duplicate work, they can become a source of frustration rather than a solution.
Several attendees shared similar concerns:
The takeaway was clear: technology matters. But implementation, adoption, and user experience matter just as much.
One thing that impressed me was how many organizations are breaking down traditional silos.
Historically, recruiting, HR, operations, scheduling, and clinical teams often operated independently. Today, leading ABA providers are bringing those functions together.
Why? Because workforce problems rarely belong to a single department.
When departments align around shared workforce goals, organizations become more agile, more scalable, and better equipped to support both employees and families.
Perhaps the most encouraging theme from the conference was the focus on people.
Amid conversations about technology, automation, AI, and operational efficiency, providers consistently returned to the same idea: Great care starts with great people.
The most successful organizations are creating environments where clinicians can build meaningful careers. They’re investing in:
When employees feel supported, they stay longer. When they stay longer, organizations become more stable. And when organizations become more stable, families receive more consistent care.
The ABA industry has tremendous opportunity ahead.
Demand for services continues to grow, awareness continues to increase, and investment continues to flow into the space.
But the providers that succeed won't necessarily be the ones with the biggest budgets or the most locations. They’ll be the organizations that build the strongest workforce foundations.
What ABA C.A.R.E.S. reinforced for me is that workforce strategy, operational strategy, and growth strategy are now the same conversation. And the organizations that connect those dots will be the ones best positioned to thrive in the years ahead.
Do these workforce challenges feel familiar? It may be time to consider a more connected workforce.
This information is for educational purposes only, and not to provide specific legal advice. This may not reflect the most recent developments in the law and may not be applicable to a particular situation or jurisdiction.