As a social worker and van lifer, I have often been curious as to why the current licensing system is on a state-by-state basis. The possibility that I could see clients in person or via telehealth in all 50 states, regardless of where I am, with the opportunity to see clients where they are located, is a dream. I have always loved the idea of being a traveling therapist, and it may be even more relevant for my niche in the future.
For the past couple of years, I have learned more about the idea of an interstate compact of social workers. I learned that other mental health professionals have been working on passing their own compacts throughout the United States. An interstate compact is defined as a legally binding contract and statutory law between two or more states, authorized by the U.S. Constitution, used to solve shared regional or national problems. The authority for a law like this comes from the Compact Clause in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3). This clause states that "No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, ... enter into Any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power".
Case Study 1: The PSYPACT
Based on the description from their website, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT®) is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries. This compact is by far one of the most expansive ones in existence for mental health professionals, as most states and territories in the United States are participating, except for 3 states and 3 U.S. territories.
Only certain mental health professionals are considered psychologists. A psychologist is a mental health professional who holds a doctoral degree (PhD) in psychology and possesses an active, unencumbered license from a participating home state. A psychologist is NOT a master's-level clinician, counselor, or social worker.
Pros
Licensed psychologists can practice telehealth in other participating states.
What does this mean? Increased access for clients to therapy and mental health assessments across the United States.
Licensed psychologists can practice temporarily in-person in other participating states.
What does this mean? Psychologists can provide face-to-face care in other member states for up to 30 days per calendar year in each state, without needing a full, additional license for every state they visit.
Cons
It is expensive.
What does this mean? To apply for the PSYPACT, you must pay for a $400 Passport E through the ASPPB and then pay an additional $40 fee for the Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) through the PSYPACT Commission.
The administrative application process is complicated and split between two separate entities.
What does this mean? The process takes longer because applicants have to navigate between both organizations and individually ensure they are meeting the correct requirements for each separately to be applicable for practice in other states in the compact.
Case Study 2: The Counseling Compact
The Counseling Compact is an interstate compact, or a contract among states, allowing professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states without the need for multiple licenses. This compact is the most similar to what the Social Work Licensure Compact will become.
This applies to people with their state's designation for an independently licensed counselor. This is a mental health professional who has a Master of Counseling and has completed all of the supervised hours and additional requirements for their independent license. In Arizona and some other states, this title is known as Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), but the exact title varies on a state-by-state basis.
Pros
Licensed counselors can practice in any of the active states for a fee.
What does this mean? If you are in an eligible state, you can see clients in other states via telehealth or in person, as long as you have been granted a privilege in the state where your client is located.
Cons
It is currently only active in 6 states, but it has been accepted in 32 additional states that still need to complete the work to issue privileges.
What does that mean? There is not a wide enough practice range currently to justify the pricing unless you are in one of the least expensive states.
The cost varies by state.
What does that mean? This could be a good or bad thing depending on where you live. Arizona currently has the most expensive fee for the compact, totaling $280. The least expensive state fee is for counselors in Ohio, totaling only $55. In my opinion, more information on how the price is determined by state is needed for transparency and to justify why there is such a large gap between costs like Arizona and Ohio.
What is the Social Work Compact?
The Social Work Licensure Compact allows social workers who have or are eligible for an active, unencumbered license in the compact member state where they reside to apply for a multistate license. After verifying eligibility, the social worker is granted a multistate license, which authorizes practice in all other compact member states.
Pros
People who have previously been licensed before the National Qualifying Exam was approved are still eligible to be grandfathered into the compact once it is passed.
What does this mean? If you currently have an active social work license in good standing, you are eligible to apply for the license under the compact.
Bachelor's, Master's, and Clinical Social Workers are all eligible once they have an accredited degree, take the qualifying exam, and have the appropriate number of hours (if applicable).
What does this mean? Once enacted, social workers at all license levels are eligible to practice in other states once they pay the fee.
Cons
There is still an exam needed to qualify, which costs $230 for Bachelor's and Master's level clinicians and $260 for Clinical Social Workers.
What does this mean? Having an exam, especially such an expensive exam, gatekeeps this opportunity for low-income and BIPOC clinicians from being eligible for the compact.
Even though the compact has been passed in 30 states, the commission is working on building a shared background and licensing database, which is expected to be finished by Spring 2027.
What does this mean? Even if this exists in your state, it is not currently giving out active licenses.
The cost has not yet been set because the commission is working on finalizing pricing.
What does this mean? Based on the cost of the other compacts, the Social Work Compact Licensure fee is likely to be very expensive.
Current Advocacy Efforts
If you are a licensed mental health professional and your state is NOT currently participating in a compact for your role, you can reach out to your representatives to advocate for it in the following ways:
- Email or call your local representative. You can find your national representative here: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member. You can find your state representatives using a tool on the website for their legislature. If you are in Arizona, you can find your state and local representatives here using Find My Legislator: https://www.azleg.gov/findmylegislator/
- Create a request to speak during a session. You can request to speak on the bill for the compact in your area. You will start by looking up where it is within the legislative process and see if you can request to speak on behalf of the compact as a bill in a committee meeting or in the committee of the whole.
- Request a meeting if possible. If you feel moved to do so, you can reach out to your local representative to describe your urge for the compact to be passed and why it is important for you that it does.
Here are the existing compact organizations:
- PSYPACT: https://psypact.gov/
- Counseling Compact: https://counselingcompact.gov/
- Social Work Licensure Compact: https://swcompact.org/