Credit: Unsplash+ Cooperation: Hrant KhachatryanPeople seeking behavioral health care and substance use treatment services in New Jersey will soon have access to more mental health professionals under a bill that recently passed unanimously out of a legislative committee.
Under this law, New Jersey will participate in an interstate compact known as the Social Work Licensing Compact, and social workers licensed at the clinical and master's level in New Jersey will be able to participate in other states that also participate in the compact. You will be able to work in other states without obtaining a license. Multiple state licenses.
“To become a social worker, you have to be licensed in three or four states, pay a fee, and go through the process in each state,” said Jana Sasser, a master's student at Rutgers University's School of Social Work. I am scheduled to graduate in May. “And I think what this bill will allow us to do is streamline that process and allow for better access to health care, not just for New Jersey, but for all the states that participate in the compact.”
Lawmakers' move to introduce the bill comes as New Jersey continues to face a behavioral health workforce shortage that mirrors the nationwide shortage of health care providers. According to a June survey by the Association of State Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, there were 572 vacancies for various mental health professions in the state. The vacancy rate was 28% for those with clinical social worker qualifications, 33% for those with social worker qualifications, and 15% for those with a master's degree in social work. .
Wait times for mental health services also remain an issue across the state. Wait times for outpatient mental health treatment admissions and counseling appointments can exceed 12 weeks, and wait times for clinical appointments can exceed 22 weeks, according to a New Jersey Mental Health Association report and 2022 study. there is. Additionally, the report notes that wait times vary widely by county, with some counties having few or no appointments.
Agreements under the bill would eliminate the need for licenses in multiple states by providing for “mutual recognition” of licenses from other member states, among other measures to expand the use of telemedicine, and address workforce shortages. will be dealt with.
If passed, the bill would affect a total of 24,255 social workers in New Jersey, according to Dawn Apgar, former deputy secretary of the state Department of Human Services and former chair of the New Jersey Social Work Review Board. become.
mutual recognition
The mutual recognition approach is like a driver's license, said Apgar, now an associate professor at Seton Hall University's School of Social Work.
“If you have a license from one state, you can drive in any state. And that's what makes it compact,” Apgar said.
Although the agreement has not yet taken effect, 28 states have joined the agreement, said Caitlin Bison, a policy analyst at the Council of State Governments' Interstate Compact Nation Center, a nonpartisan organization based in Lexington, Kentucky. No bill has been submitted to do so. The organization partners with the Department of Defense and the Social Work Boards Association to develop interstate compacts.
“This agreement will create a more efficient licensing process by allowing licensees in good standing to move from state to state through reciprocity…” — Louis D. Greenwald, House of Representatives Congressman (Democrat, Burlington)
So far, South Dakota and Missouri have enacted compact legislation, Bison said.
“Once we get to at least seven states that have actually enacted the compact, we can start working on setting up a compact committee and eventually issue licenses to multiple states,” Bison said.
Bison said the committee will be made up of representatives from each state licensing board that is part of the agreement. Bison added that the committee's establishment process is expected to take approximately 18 months.
What the agreement allows
The Social Work Licensing Agreement allows social workers who hold a “valid, unrestricted license” or are qualified in their member state of residence to apply for a license in more than one state. According to the bill, an “unrestricted license” is one that allows a social worker to engage in the “full and unrestricted practice” of social work.
“This agreement creates a more efficient licensing process because through reciprocity, licensed practitioners in good standing can travel from state to state, reaching more families (and) “It will allow us to serve more individuals faster and more quickly. It will be more efficient and protect the public safety,” said Lewis D. Green, the bill's lead sponsor. said Congressman Wald (D-Burlington).
The agreement also aims to increase access to behavioral health services for military families.
“Also, if military families in need of services move to another state or relocate to New Jersey, they don't have to worry about going back into the system or waiting weeks or months… It also helps make sure you don't have to worry about it. Promise. It's compact so you can access the services you need,” Greenwald said.
Remaining flaws
However, some social workers, including Dr. Patricia Findley, say the agreement is a “huge step forward,” but still requires the National Social Work Licensing Examination, administered by the Board of Social Work. social workers say. According to Findley, that is inherently discriminatory.
The first-time pass rate has historically been highest for white test takers, averaging 83.9% from 2018 to 2021, according to the association's 2022 report. In 2021, 85% of white test takers passed the clinical exam on their first attempt. During the same period, the clinical exam pass rate for first-time Blacks taking the exam was 46.2%. The pass rate for multiracial test takers was 79.9%, while the pass rate for Asian test takers was 72%. From 2018 to 2021, the pass rate for Hispanic test takers was 65.1%, and the pass rate for Native Americans and indigenous peoples was 62.9%.
“It solves some problems, but it doesn't solve all problems,” Findley, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of social work at Rutgers School of Social Work, said of the compact.
An identical bill in the Senate (S-2688) has not yet been voted on.
