Advancements for telehealth have been taking place. But between the fancy words, certifications, and ‘who does this apply to anyway’ it can be confusing. You may have heard of Psypact, but you’d be forgiven if you weren’t sure about all the details like which states are now Psypact states.

The itherapy team did some digging to answer the most common questions, demystify elaborate explanations, and clarify what these advancements mean to you and your practice. 

Let’s get started!

What is Psypact?

Psypact stands for “Psychology Compact”. This legislation has been in the works since the 1990’s to allow psychologists to practice in any state that participates in Psypact (aka. across state lines). In July of 2020 it was finally ready for applications.

Psypact States

At the time of writing this post, 15 states have enacted Psypact. They are: 

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia (Effective 1/1/2021)
• North Carolina (Effective 3/1/2021)

Who can apply?

At the moment, Psypact only accepts applications from Psychologists. Applying Psychologists need to define their home state, be credited and certified in their home state, and follow their home state guidelines. 

What does the approval process look like?

Psychologists can apply for approval in two ways:

1. Telepsychology. This would allow a Psychologists to practice online therapy across state lines. This approval requires meeting the exam requirement for the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology from ASPPB and then obtaining an “E.Passport” from ASPPB as well as an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology from the PSYPACT commission.
2. Temporary, In-Person Psychology Practice. This would allow you to practice in-person across state lines and requires an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate from ASPPB as well as a Temporary Authorization to Practice from the PSYPACT commission

When practicing across state lines under either approval the Psychologist must adhere to the guidelines of the state the client is from. 

What does this mean if I’m not a Psychologist?

Unfortunately, Psypact specifically covers Psychologists and does not cover LCSWs, Lactation Consultants, or any other kind of therapist or counselor. This can seem discouraging and frustrating, however, it is a huge step in the right direction for telehealth. While all practicing therapists are not yet covered, even if they’re in a Psypact state, if the door is opened for Psychologists there is hope for the door opening wide enough for other therapists to practice across state lines.

If you’re a Psychologist (or know a Psychologist) who wants to jump into Psypact to serve more people but doesn’t have telehealth set up yet, that’s exactly what we do. Read some iTherapy reviews and you’ll see, we make your practice simple. Schedule a call with us to get your questions answered or the whole setup handed to you ready to roll (just let us know what your preference is).

If you want to learn more, here are some resources that we found helpful as we were doing our research:

Our previous post on International Teletherapy.

Thorough Overview of Psypact with Q&A

A short summary from TeleBehavioral Health Insitute 

Details for approval and allowances under Psypact