The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines took another step forward as Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law his state’s Counseling Compact legislation.
This milestone makes Indiana the twenty-sixth state to ratify 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.
“For too long, Indiana Hoosiers have struggled to access the mental health services they need. It is our hope that the Counseling Compact will help increase services available to those in need in a meaningful way. We have been diligently working to make this dream a reality for several years and we’re excited to announce that it will soon take effect for the betterment of Hoosiers across the state,” said the Indiana Counseling Association.
“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 Lynn Linde, project lead.
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, and Indiana. Currently, the Counseling Compact has been introduced in 22 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.