On the heels of Mental Health Awareness Month, the state House passed legislation (H.B. 668) this week authored by state Reps. Jennifer O’Mara and Tim Brennan that would authorize the state to join a national compact that helps to get mental health treatment to more people in need.
This National Counseling Compact is an occupational licensure agreement based on the mutual recognition of both education and practices for counselors in 37 other states. The compact works by permitting a practitioner’s home state license to be mutually recognized by other compact member states based on a set of criteria laid out within the language of the compact. This model also provides counselors and their patients more opportunity as to where and how they provide treatment.
“We are facing a mental health crisis across our nation, with more than 23% of adults living with mental illness and more than 46% meeting the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition in their lifetime,” O’Mara, D-Delaware, said. “We’ve made great strides over the years in getting the message to people that ‘it’s OK to not be OK’ and that they should seek treatment to feel better.
“Unsurprisingly, due to an increased demand for mental health services and a shortage of mental health providers, finding treatment without a months’ long waitlist can be nearly impossible. In fact, more than 62% of Pennsylvania’s communities are underserved in terms of available mental health services. Our bill would broaden the state’s capacity to serve more people in need.”
Under the legislation, students at out-of-state schools would be able to continue seeing their trusted counselor, and hard-working Pennsylvanians traveling for business or working across state lines would have access to virtual sessions that fit their schedules.
“We need to do far more to provide and normalize mental health services, and a big part of that is updating relevant Pennsylvania policy. Persistent shortages in providers are making it difficult to access even routine mental health services – so our bill would make it easier to find help and to continue treatment with the counselor you chose and trust, even if your circumstances change,” Brennan, D-Bucks, said.
“I’m proud of my colleagues in the House for coming together to pass this bill. Mental health care should be simple to access when you need it—no matter where you live, work, or go to school,” Brennan said. “Bureaucracy shouldn’t stand in the way of you getting the care you need and deserve from the counselor you trust – it’s a truly life or death issue.”
O’Mara said the bill particularly helps military families and college students, in addition to removing barriers for qualified professionals to serve patients.
“Multistate licensure compacts are especially helpful to military members and spouses and students as they move across state lines,” O’Mara said. “A counselor with a compact license can move between participating states seamlessly, providing professional continuity no matter the circumstance.”
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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