WASHINGTON — An agreement that will allow psychologists to practice in certain states even if they are not licensed there is an important step toward getting psychological care to people who most need it, according to the president of the American Psychological Association.
“We know that one in five people in the United States has a mental illness, yet many of them are unable to get the care they need,” said APA President Rosie Phillips Davis, PhD. “This new agreement is a significant and much-needed step toward increasing people’s access to care, as well as a foundational development in telepsychology, which will be an important way to deliver care in the future.”
The agreement, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, or PSYPACT, permits licensed psychologists in seven states to see patients in other compact states legally — via telepsychology, or in person on a temporary basis — without maintaining licensure in the other states. The states are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada and Utah. (Illinois has also passed legislation to join the agreement, but it will not go into effect there until 2020.)
PSYPACT was developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boardsopens in new window, which agreed to implement the initiative once it had been adopted by seven state legislatures. Georgia became the seventh state on April 23, when Gov. Brian Kemp signed it into law. The next step will be for ASPPB to establish a commission to develop bylaws for operating the agreement and begin accepting applications from psychologists seeking to practice via PSYPACT. ASPPB would then issue certificates to licensed psychologists allowing them to practice telepsychology or to provide psychological services in person for up to 30 days a year in PSYPACT states.
“PSYPACT will increase the number of providers available to patients in rural areas, to those with limited mobility, and to those whose access to psychological services is otherwise low,” Davis added. “APA is grateful for ASPPB’s leadership on this initiative and looks forward to working together to enroll all 50 states.”
APA developed guidelines for the practice of telepsychology in 2013 as part of a joint effort with ASPPB and The Trust, which offers insurance to practicing psychologists. The guidelines comprise eight principles: competence, standards of care, informed consent, confidentiality, security and transmission of data, disposal of data, testing and assessment, and interjurisdictional practice. These guidelines are foundational to PSYPACT.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. APA's membership includes nearly 118,400 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to promote the advancement, communication and application of psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve lives.