Dr. Samantha Morel January 19th, 2021
PSYPACT And What It Means For You!
Updated 6/6/22
* I currently offer both tele-heath and in-person sessions out of my office in The Woodlands, Texas. (Updated June 2022).*
When COVID hit last year, like the rest of the world of the field of psychology went online! I think we’ve all learned a great deal about the pros and cons of engaging with the world in this way. For instance:
Pro– sweatpants are encouraged.
Con– sweatshirts are not.
Pro– we get to meet each other’s pets.
Con– technology can be super glitchy.
Pro– we are more connected than ever.
Con- we are more connected than ever.
From my perspective, tele-health is not going anywhere fast…. I have lots of feelings about this (see above) but another aspect that has been a struggle about this is that even though clinicians are more comfortable (and competent) with using tele-health these days, state licensing boards typically regulate that therapists are limited to practicing only within their state lines. So even though we are all online, these regulating boards limit the scope in which therapists are able to provide quality services, and more importantly, the options some individuals have when choosing a clinician that fits their needs. One of the few exceptions is PSYPACT- and I’m thrilled to share that I am a PSYPACT approved psychologist!
“The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the practice of telepsychology and the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology across state boundaries.”
PSYPACT helps us to reduce statewide regulatory barriers, increase access to mental healthcare, and diversify your choices related to choosing the professionals you really want to work with! You can read more about this here.
Having met their extremely high standards of experience, I can provide services across state lines per this jurisdiction. I see this being beneficial for new clients from other states who would like to work with together, or new clients who know that (in a world without COVID) travel is a big part of their day-to-day life. This also applies to my ongoing clients who might move out of state, or take frequent trips for work or play, and still desire to remain connected and engaged in our important work as they do so.
This makes continuity of care more possible than it’s ever been before! In the past, we likely would not have had the option to meet, even if we desired to. Additionally, moving often came with the added stressor of having to transfer care to another mental health provider. YIKES!
With PSYPACT approval, I am able to provide quality tele-health based psychotherapy in the following 29 states (additionally, I separately licensed in Florida):
PSYPACT PARTICIPATING STATES
Alabama – AL SB 102 (Enacted 3/18/2021)
Arizona – AZ HB 2503 (Enacted on 5/17/2016)
Arkansas – AR HB 1760 (Enacted 4/25/2021)
Colorado – CO HB 1017 (Enacted 4/12/2018)
Delaware – DE HB 172 (Enacted 6/27/2019)
District of Columbia – DC B 145 (Enacted 3/16/2021)
Georgia – GA HB 26 (Enacted 4/23/2019)
Illinois – IL HB 1853 (Enacted 8/22/2018)
Kansas – KS SB 170 (Enacted 5/17/2021)
Kentucky – KY HB 38 (Enacted 3/18/2021)
Maine – ME HB 631 (Enacted 6/22/2021)
Maryland – MD HB 970 (Enacted 5/18/2021)
Minnesota – MN SB 193 (Enacted 5/25/2021)
Missouri – MO HB 1719/MO SB 660 (Enacted 6/1/2018)
Nebraska – NE L 1034 (Enacted 4/23/2018)
Nevada – NV AB 429 (Enacted on 5/26/2017)
New Hampshire- NH SB 232 (Enacted 7/10/2019)
New Jersey – NJ A 4205/NJ S 2506 (Enacted 9/24/2021)
North Carolina – NC 361 (Enacted 7/1/2020)
Ohio – OH S 2 (Enacted 4/27/2021)
Oklahoma – OK HB 1057 (Enacted 4/29/2019)
Pennsylvania – PA SB 67 (Enacted 5/8/2020)
Tennessee – TN S 161 (Enacted 5/11/2021)
Texas – TX HB 1501 (Enacted 6/10/2019)
Utah – UT SB 106 (Enacted on 3/17/2017)
Virginia – VA SB 760 (Enacted 4/11/2020)
Washington – WA H 1286 (Enacted 3/4/2022)
West Virginia – WV SB 668 (Enacted 4/21/2021)
Wisconsin – WI A 537 (Enacted 2/4/2022)
And more are coming soon!
ENACTED, NOT YET EFFECTIVE
Indiana – IN S 365 (Enacted 3/10/2022; Effective July 1, 2022)
Idaho – ID S 1305 (Enacted 3/23/2022, Effective July 1, 2022)
Connecticut – CT S 2 (Enacted 5/24/2022, Effective October 1, 2022)
ENACTED, UNDER FURTHER REVIEW (* indicates PSYPACT legislation has been enacted in a state but has not been formally adopted by the PSYPACT Commission.
PSYPACT authorizations are not yet valid in this state.)
South Carolina – SC H 3833
The following states have introduced PSYPACT legislation but have not yet enacted PSYPACT and therefore are not considered PSYPACT participating states. Perhaps one day, these states will also be included! To learn more about the legislation in these states, click here.
PENDING PSYPACT LEGISLATION
Massachusetts – MA S 2542
Michigan – MI H 5489
Rhode Island – RI H 7501/RI S 2605
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands – CNMI HB 22-80
New York – NY S 9234
Reach out to me to learn more about what this means, and how it may apply to you!
Stay well,
-Dr. M.
