61% of BCBAs Say Administrative Tasks are Diverting Attention From Patient Care, New RethinkBH Survey Finds

Despite Strong Commitment to Clients, Burnout Is Leading Over Half of BCBAs to Reconsider Their Careers

NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a profession built on care, compassion and clinical expertise, a new survey from Rethink Behavioral Health (RethinkBH), a comprehensive clinical and practice management solution for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and pediatric therapy providers from RethinkFirst, reveals that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are struggling to do what they love most: help clients. The survey shows that 61% say they want to spend more time on patient care but are bogged down by administrative tasks and inefficient systems that divert their time and energy away from patient care, leading to stress and burnout.

The BCBA State of the Profession Survey 2025 reveals a profession at a crossroads – while BCBAs remain deeply committed to client care, they are stretched thin by administrative overload and clinical complexity.

"Being a BCBA means dedicating yourself to helping others thrive – but too many are sacrificing their own well-being in the process," said Angela Nelson, Ed.D, BCBA, and Rethink's vice president of Clinical Services. "After 20 years in this profession, I know the toll it takes. We must give these professionals the tools and support they need to practice at the top of their credentials – minimizing the manual administrative work so that they have more time to provide care to their clients. Practices that invest in automation, collaboration and clinician well-being are positioned to lead the next wave of growth – and elevate care quality across the board."

Key survey findings include:

• Stress takes both a personal and professional toll
  • 89% of BCBAs experience work-related stress.
  • 26% describe their work as "very stressful" or that they experience "unmanageable stress," with one-third indicating that they'd been operating under extreme stress for two or more years.
  • Nearly three in five BCBAs (58%) are considering another profession.
  • 46% prioritize their clients' well-being over their own mental health.
• Operational overload undermines client care, putting both outcomes and job satisfaction at risk
  • 61% say administrative burdens are interfering with their ability to provide direct care.
  • BCBAs spend just 25% of their week on client therapy, compared to 38% on billable non-therapy tasks.
• Collaboration—though essential—is often missing, reinforcing the need for stronger, more integrated care models
  • 26% cite lack of parent/caregiver participation as the greatest obstacle to client outcomes, while 20% point to poor collaboration across providers that can impact continuity of care.

The national independent survey polled 390 practicing BCBAs from practices of all sizes, exploring stress levels, workflow inefficiencies, clinical decision-making and collaboration across ABA therapy teams.

To read the full report, visit The BCBA State of the Profession Survey 2025

About Rethink Behavioral Health
Rethink Behavioral Health (RethinkBH) is a leading provider of comprehensive practice management software that gives ABA and pediatric therapy providers more time to focus on their clients. Backed by over 1 billion clinical data points from the largest published database on autism services, the all-in-one platform offers powerful, time-saving features, including clinical programming, data collection, scheduling, reminders, training and insurance billing. With fully integrated workflow automation and evidence-based clinical tools, RethinkBH empowers startups, growing practices and enterprise organizations to optimize outcomes, scale operations and deliver high-quality care. More than 96,000 providers rely on RethinkBH to manage their practices and improve lives across communities. Learn more at rethinkbh.com.

About RethinkFirst 
RethinkFirst is a global health technology company providing cloud-based treatment tools, training and clinical support to employers, educators, payors and behavioral health professionals. Rethink's award-winning solutions serve 11+ million employees worldwide, one-third of Fortune 100 companies, many of the country's largest public-school districts, and over 96,000 individual behavioral healthcare providers. Each of Rethink's award-winning solutions incorporates evidence-based protocols, workflow automation, and advanced data analytics to drive meaningful clinical outcomes and improved performance for customers and the communities that they serve.

For more information, please visit our Rethink website.

SOURCE RethinkFirst