Steve Hampe, MSEd
APAGS Member at Large, Practice Focus (2001-2003)
From 1998 - 1999, about 43 million US residents moved to a new
residence, according to the US Census Bureau. The majority (59 percent) moved to
a new home in the same county, but 18 percent (7.7 million) moved to a new
state. Often graduate students are encouraged to "intern where you'll
earn." This may be sage advice. But how easy is it to transfer a psychology
license from one state to another?
The boards of psychology all have their own standards for
licensure, often not easily transferable. Three organizations - American Board
of Professional Psychology (ABPP), Association of State and Provincial
Psychology Boards (ASPPB), and the National Register of Health Service Providers
in Psychology (NR) - are working to make qualification as a psychologist more
nationally transparent, though not in exactly the same way.
With the two credentialing organizations, psychologists who
meet certain criteria make application, pay a fee, and, if accepted, may
identify themselves professionally as a diplomate (ABPP) or registrant (NR).
ASPPB does not credential psychologists but, like NR, allows a psychologist to
store license-qualifying information in a national database. A psychologist
(established, new or still a student) can "bank" their information in
a central location. Being licensed requires submission of transcripts,
practicum/internship logs, recommendations, etc., some of which may be hard to
locate several years after graduation. The credential banks of ASPPB and NR
eliminate this hurdle by certifying the psychologist had submitted the original
documentation to that organization.
Registering in a credentials bank does not automatically
entitle a psychologist licensure in another state. This is a timesaving,
anxiety-eliminating device, providing a psychologist with a single source for
the variety of credentials earned to obtain initial licensure. In addition to
helping mobility, this would also simplify one's ability when applying for
advanced credentials or specializations.
Truly being able to transfer one's license - reciprocity - is
being approached in different ways by ASPPB and NR. ASPPB issues a Certificate
of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) to psychologists licensed in
the U.S. and Canada who meet standards of educational preparation, supervised
experience, and examination performance, and who have practiced a minimum of
five years and have no history of disciplinary action
ASPPB then encourages licensing boards to accept the CPQ as
evidence of eligibility for licensure. Through the CPQ program, ASPPB works to
streamline the licensing process. ASPPB notes that one seeking initial licensure
would be well served in utilizing their credentials bank and would be well on
their way to earning a CPQ. ASPPB, as the administrator of the Examination of
Proficiency in Professional Psychology (EPPP), also offers a test score
reporting service. The EPPP has essentially become the licensing examination for
psychology, though the jurisdictions often have differing passing scores and
some limit the length of time the score remains valid.
Achieving mobility is a daunting task, requiring the
cooperation of all licensing jurisdictions. Both ASPPB and NR invested much in
convincing licensing boards and state legislatures to adopt their standard. In
addition to the CPQ, ASPPB is also working to achieve direct acceptance of
licenses between jurisdictions - true reciprocity. The ASPPB reports that the
CPQ is currently accepted by 27 jurisdictions, with 10 in process. Ten
jurisdictions have accepted their Agreement of Reciprocity with three working
toward it.
The NR, on the other hand, supports multiple mobility
mechanisms because the profession will not realize a mobility benefit if only a
small number of psychologists are affected. The NR currently credentials
approximately 14,000 psychologists, the ABPP currently credentials about 2,000
psychologists, and nearly 3,500 psychologists currently hold the CPQ from ASPPB.
The numerous jurisdictions that use all three mechanisms (NR & CPQ + ABPP as
exam waiver) affect the mobility potential of almost 20,000 qualified licensed
psychologists. The NR believes that jurisdictions that do not choose multiple
mechanisms do not maximize the mobility benefit that the profession is pursuing.
A matter of concern for recent graduates could be the
five-year practice requirement established for the CPQ. The NR undertook a
significant investigation of their database of over 4,000 disciplinary actions.
They found early career psychologists are far less likely to have disciplinary
action than veteran practitioners. Therefore, one can apply for the NR's
credential upon graduation, allowing for more immediate mobility. Some states,
however, may have a length of practice requirement before allowing a
psychologist to seek transfer of licensure.
Obviously, mobility is still a significant work in progress.
Significant inroads have been made by ABPP, ASPPB, and NR. The ability to
license in more than one state may not be a need of some. However, the
standardization of qualifications necessary to achieve mobility would be an
important step in establishing a unified benchmark of psychologist qualification
- a benefit to the psychologist and the public alike.
