Great news! At literally the last possible moment (late in the day on 10 October), both sides of Joint Committee on Public Health voted to report the PsyPact bills (H.2528 / S.1487) favorably out of committee
(The House vote was unanimous, the Senate vote has not yet appeared on the website, but the website shows a favorable report out of committee for the Senate bill.)
Now, we need you all to contact your legislators, especially if they are in leadership...
Tell them something like this... “Please reach out to the Clerk’s office to urge that H.2528 and S.1487, allowing Massachusetts to join the professional psychology interjurisdictional compact, be advanced directly to the floor, rather than sent to Ways and Means. The Joint Committee on Public Health already reported these bills favorably, there is no fiscal impact, and 43 other states have already implemented PsyPact at no additional cost. In fact, some have found that it saves money.” (more on this topic will be added soon to the Advocacy Toolkit)
There is no actual opposition to PsyPact -- our only barrier is legislative inertia. Committee members need to hear how important this law is to their voters. Everyone who lives in their districts who might need to access high-quality mental health care (that is, everyone!) is being harmed.
Why PsyPact Matters:
The current system of state-based mental health licensure is massively outdated: it doesn't address the very real needs of today's highly-mobile population and the increasing reliance upon the convenience of telehealth. The temporary practice laws passed as a stopgap during the pandemic have largely expired, with most states saying, "Just use PsyPact." PsyPact was first introduced in 2015. To date, 43 other states have already enacted this law (and more are on the way).
Therapy is legally considered to take place in the state where the client is physically located at the time of the session. If a client moves out of state, or even travels temporarily (college, jobs, family relocation, internships, vacations, family emergencies), they lose their access to therapy, often at the times when they need it the most.
As psychologists, we know that therapists are not interchangeable widgets. The trusting relationship between client and therapist is not just how we help clients be willing to be vulnerable -- for many clients, it is a key part of how healing takes place.
Clients who most need culturally-sensitive care, especially those who come from vulnerable populations (members of racial, ethnic, and language minorities; trauma survivors; members of the LGBTQ+ community, autistic folks, residents of rural communities; etc.) often struggle to find connection with a therapist in the first place; forcing them to interrupt therapy, find a new specialist, and start all over with someone who doesn't know their history, is highly countertherapeutic. It is cruel to ask those who might be in neighboring states to drive across the border and have their therapy sessions while they sit in a Massachusetts parking lot, just to satisfy the arbitrary demands of the law.
It is not practical to suggest that psychologists simply seek licensure in the new state. This process typically takes 3-6 months even when it goes smoothly, and may take much longer or not be possible at all, because of minor legal technicalities. Even if successful, this approach places ever-growing short-term and long-term financial and paperwork burdens on the therapist, as every client moving to a new state adds yet another professional license which must then be maintained indefinitely.
PsyPact presents zero cost to the Commonwealth. Other states' financial reviews have shown no new expenses. In fact, joining PsyPact will reduce the administrative burdens on the Board of Registration, freeing up their time to focus on their important work of protecting the public.
PsyPact does not create any loopholes for out-of-state psychologists to circumvent Massachusetts law. Because therapy is considered to take place in the state where the client is located, clients located in Masschusetts are still protected by Massachusetts mental health law.
Failing to pass PsyPact does nothing to address the problem of "life coaches" or even AI-based chatbots conducting unlicensed and unregulated therapy with Massachusetts clients. The only people being harmed by the legislature's ongoing failure to pass PsyPact are the psychologists who follow the law and our clients. In fact, the present system creates a perverse incentive for Massachusetts psychologists to themselves relocate to other states, further reducing access to quality mental health care for Massachusetts residents.
No psychologist is required to seek PsyPact credentials. It is always your choice. Click here to access the main PsyPact site.
There is no known opposition to PsyPact; the only barrier here is legislative inertia.
What You Can Do:
Click here to find out if you live in a town represented by someone on the relevant committees!
If you live in a committee member's district:
Call and email your representative today. A sample phone script is below. Sample emails are linked on the Advocacy Toolkit page.
Tell your neighbors to do the same! Legislators need to hear not just from psychologists, but from those who can speak from the clients' perspectives.
Contact your local newspapers! Our Advocacy Toolkit page has sample drafts for op-ed articles and letters to the editor -- feel free to adapt them to your particular town and circumstances, and get the word out!
Whether or not you live in one of the key districts:
Contact friends/family who do!
Call your own state senators and representatives today! Urge them to start bugging their colleagues.
Post on social media! The Advocacy Toolkit page also has sample language for you to use in social media. Again, feel free to use these as-is or adapt them. In particular, use the hashtag #mapoli to raise awareness amongst those who follow Massachusetts Politics.
Tell us what you did: [ Action Report Form is coming soon ]
Phone Script (for calls to legislators):
“Hello, my name is [Name], and I am a [ licensed psychologist/constituent ] in [Town]. I’m calling to urge [Representative/Senator X] to act immediately on the PsyPact bill (H.2528 / S.1487). It has just been reported out favorably (unanimously, in fact!), and it needs to keep moving forward! Please contact the Clerk's office and encourage them to route it directly to the floor, rather than to Ways and Means -- not only is it not expected to present any additional cost to the Commonwealth, it will likely save money. This bill will expand access to high-quality mental health care and reduce disruptions in therapy for those who live in Massachusetts, especially those who come from vulnerable populations or who need specialty care. We are not aware of anyone actually opposing these bills! Thank you so much!