A licensure compact for social workers would enable health systems and hospitals to expand telehealth outreach and include social workers in more programs.
A new licensing compact could help health systems and hospitals improve efforts to address social determinants of health and use telehealth to expand behavioral health outreach.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is issuing four grants worth a collective $2.5 million through the License Portability Grant Program (LPGP) to create a multi-state social worker licensure compact. Through the compact, license social workers will be able to practice in member states without the need to apply for a license in each state.
“Social workers are essential to expanding access to behavioral healthcare services,” HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm said in a press release. “HRSA is leading the way in growing the behavioral health workforce both by training more providers and by breaking down barriers to allow the workforce to make mental health and substance use disorder services more accessible across the country.”
Telehealth advocates say multi-state licensure compacts can be an important tool for overcoming licensure barriers and expanding virtual care networks across the country. They allow healthcare organizations to expand programs across state lines and into areas where healthcare resources—especially specialists—are scarce.
The largest compacts are the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) for physicians, which currently includes 40 states, the Nurse Licensure Compact, which now includes 39 states, and the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), which includes 40 states. Other compacts focus on physical therapists, audiologists and speech-language pathologists, and emergency medical services workers.
Social workers are a critical element of behavioral health and SDOH programs because they can help connect patients to resources beyond the traditional healthcare network, helping to address barriers that include housing, transportation, education, employment and cultural and family issues.
“Social workers are on the frontlines in responding to the administration’s priorities, including meeting children’s mental health needs, responding to the opioid epidemic, and addressing maternal depression,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in the press release. “Today’s announcement is a critical step in helping social workers serve people in need, particularly in rural and underserved communities across the country.”
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A key barrier to telehealth expansion is the requirement that care providers apply for and receive a license to practice in each state in which they see patients.
Telehealth advocates have long supported efforts like licensure compacts, which allow providers to practice in member states with just one license.
A federal effort to create a licensure compact for social workers would enable providers to expand behavioral health and SDOH programs that depend on social workers to access key resources outside the health system.