Lawmakers in the Vermont Home passed a bill Friday that would enable licensed mental wellness counselors in Vermont to apply to practice in other states and vice versa with out the will need for licenses from every state.
H. 62 proposes Vermont join the Interstate Counseling Compact. At least 17 states are currently a aspect of it, such as New Hampshire and Maine.
Lauren Layman, basic counsel in the Vermont Secretary of State’s Workplace of Experienced Regulation, has been advocating for Vermont to join the agreement.
She says numerous groups will advantage, such as individuals.
“The counselors, themselves, will be benefited in that they’ll be capable to move from state to state and comply with up with their individuals with out incurring additional expenses,” Layman mentioned. “And I consider the state could be impacted in that we will have superior access to mental wellness care sources.”
The state could take a economic hit if fewer counselors are paying to be licensed in Vermont. A note from the Joint Fiscal Workplace estimated if Vermont joins the compact, it could shed out on about $55,000 from the loss of licensing and application charges.
The bill now goes to the Senate for evaluation.
This story is a collaboration amongst Vermont Public and the Neighborhood News Service. The Neighborhood News Service is a student-powered partnership amongst the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling system and neighborhood newspapers across Vermont.
