Tell Your Legislators to Support the Social Work Licensing Compact!

Texas has a strong history of supporting interstate compacts to enhance professional mobility and improve access to care. We joined the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) in 1999, the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) in 2019, and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) in 2021. Now, it’s time for legislators to recognize the value Social Workers provide by passing the Social Work Licensure Compact (SWLC) during the 89th legislative session!

Benefits of the Social Work Licensure Compact:

Provides wider and faster access for vulnerable and underserved populations and communities in need of trained caseworkers and other social work professionals.
Increases access to clinical social workers delivering mental health counseling services via telehealth, reaching Texans in rural regions of the state.
Facilitates continuity of care during client relocation. Clients relocating to or from Texas from bordering states will experience uninterrupted service.
Assists military families by improving portability of mental healthcare and provides access at military bases, many of which are in healthcare deserts. Veterans face elevated risk of PTSD and suicide. Military families often move every 2.5 years.

Broadband expansion and Telehealth

National involvement in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) led to significant increases in telehealth services, improving mental health outcomes for participating states. Recent studies show Telehealth therapy is on par with face-to-face psychotherapy services, and that 59% of Americans stated they would use Telehealth for mental healthcare.

Texas can replicate this success with the Social Work Licensure Compact (SWLC), especially given recent investments in broadband infrastructure. Under HB 9 (88), Texas invested $1.5 billion in broadband accessibility. This investment was bolstered by a federal investment of $3.3 billion through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) and $5.4 million allocated for growth through the Capital Projects Fund.

These expansions target minority and at-risk communities where social workers are needed most. Programs like Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT), which offers telehealth services to youth during mental health crises, demonstrate the effectiveness of such initiatives. Texas has the opportunity to increase Telehealth access through the Social Work Licensure Compact (SWLC) by increasing the number of telehealth providers, ensuring underserved Texans receive the care they need.

Take action today! Reach out to your legislators and urge them to support the SWLC to enhance mental health care access for all Texans. Check out our SWLC resources on our website for more information on the compact.