The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines continued to move forward as forward as Vermont Governor Phil Scott and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law their states’ Counseling Compact legislation.
This milestone marks twenty-eight states who have ratified the Counseling Compact, which allows professional counselors licensed and residing in a Compact member state to practice in other member states without the need for multiple licenses.
“The enactment of the Counseling Compact legislation in Iowa was a long and coordinated effort among our state counseling associations. The ACA of Iowa is incredibly thankful for the support of the Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association and membership from both of our organizations for making this possible,” said Leo Khan-Snyder, TLMHC, NCC, ACA of Iowa Public Policy Chair.
“The Compact continues to expand across the country as states recognize that the ability to practice across state lines is essential in meeting the mental health needs of so many people. This is truly a milestone for the profession,” said ACA Chief of Professional Practice Dr. Lynn Linde.
Funded and created by the American Counseling Association, the Counseling Compact was finalized in December 2020 and has now been passed by the legislatures in Georgia, Maryland, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Utah, Maine, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, Colorado, Louisiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Delaware, Wyoming, Arkansas, Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Indiana, Vermont, and Iowa. Currently, the Counseling Compact has been introduced in 26 states this legislative session.
Compacts provide a pathway for counselors to move seamlessly from one state to another through an agreement among states to recognize another state’s license. Previously, counselors have had difficulty transferring their licenses from one state/jurisdiction to another because of the independent nature of jurisdictional licensing rules and regulations. There was little consistency regarding the requirements for licensure and these varying requirements make it difficult to transfer one’s license.
The Counseling Compact enables professional counselors who meet uniform licensure requirements to quickly obtain a privilege to practice, which is equivalent to a license to practice counseling in another state.