Washington Becomes Twenty-Second State to Sign Interstate Counseling Compact into Law

The dream of many licensed professional counselors to practice across state lines took another step towards reality as Governor Jay Inslee signed into law his state’s Counseling Compact legislation.

This milestone makes Washington the twenty-second state to sign the Counseling Compact into law, allowing professional counselors licensed and residing in a compact member state to practice in other compact member states without the need for multiple licenses. 

“We are thrilled to be the first West coast state to join the compact. The support we’ve received from our members, partner organizations, and legislators has been overwhelmingly as we’ve navigated the various hurdles this session. We hope to be able to support our boarder states in their legislative process next year to ease barriers and ensure equitable access to mental health care throughout the Pacific Northwest,” said Shannon Thompson, Executive Director of the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association.

“The number of states signing onto the Compact indicate that public policymakers understand how this legislation will fill critical mental health service gaps for their constituents. ACA applauds the foresight and compassion of state legislatures and governors who have approved the Counseling Compact. This is a milestone for the profession and those whom we serve,” 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, and Washington. 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.  

For more information, please visit CounselingCompact.org