Bill Overview
Title: C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals Act
Description: This bill establishes a grant program to promote interstate licensure compacts for mental health professionals. These are licensure agreements enacted by two or more states to mutually recognize the licenses of counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, or pediatric mental health professionals. The Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to interstate compact commissions or professional licensing boards. Recipients may use grants for projects to (1) incentivize mental health professionals to practice in states with interstate licensure compacts, and (2) develop or maintain interstate compact commissions.
Sponsors: Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Target Audience
Population: Mental Health Professionals
Estimated Size: 500000
- The bill is specifically designed to impact mental health professionals, which includes counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and pediatric mental health professionals.
- The legislation will significantly impact those professionals working or intending to work across state lines, as it eases the process of obtaining licensure in multiple states.
- By facilitating interstate compacts, mental health professionals may have an increased ability to offer their services to a broader population base, thus potentially impacting the mental health services accessible to the general population.
- Globally, mental health practitioners could be affected if similar interstate compact models are adopted in other countries.
Reasoning
- The policy is primarily aimed at facilitating cross-state practice for mental health professionals through licensure compacts. This could potentially reduce time and financial costs for obtaining multiple licenses.
- The budget constraint suggests a targeted implementation that could prioritize high-population states or specific professional groups where interstate practice is more prevalent.
- Mental health professionals who currently struggle with restrictive state licensure could see improved job flexibility and greater client reach. This is likely to improve their professional satisfaction and, consequently, their wellbeing.
- Given the broad range of mental health professionals, the impact is likely to vary based on current licensure status, career goals, and geographical location. Those already in states with compacts might experience less drastic changes.
- Clients of mental health professionals could indirectly benefit by having access to a broader range of professionals, potentially improving their wellbeing scores in the long term.
Simulated Interviews
Licensed Counselor (California)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am hopeful that the new policy will make it easier for me to grow my practice across state lines without the current administrative burden.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Psychiatrist (Texas)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could greatly reduce the hassle and cost of getting licensed in states where I frequently consult.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Psychologist (New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm relatively new to the field, so the transition to working in other states feels daunting.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Pediatric Mental Health Professional (Florida)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I might benefit from the policy indirectly as it draws more mental health professionals into the area with compact agreements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Ohio)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been lobbying for this kind of initiative because it allows us to better serve clients who move across states.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Therapist (Illinois)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'd love to join the compact as it could increase my client base without a hefty license fee in every state.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Counselor (Washington)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Interstate compacts will allow me to better support my clients who move frequently.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Psychiatrist (Georgia)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy comes too late for me to make significant changes, but it might facilitate a part-time practice in another state.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Psychology Graduate Student (Colorado)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Interstate licensing could greatly ease my initial career choices, providing more job opportunities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Psychotherapist (Pennsylvania)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could significantly cut down overhead and administrative costs, allowing us to expand services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 3: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The need for state-level participation in interstate compacts to fully realize benefits.
- Potential administrative hurdles in aligning licensing requirements between states.
- Challenges in effectively incentivizing mental health professionals to move to underserved areas despite interstate compacts.