In conversations with early career professionals (ECP), one issue that comes up frequently is concern about the path to licensure. By definition, ECPs are either about to become licensed or have just completed the process and are familiar with the particular frustrations of the process. One common complaint is about varying requirements in the number and type of hours required for licensure. Requirements by state vary tremendously, particularly at the postdoctoral level. In an attempt to improve this situation, APA Council adopted the Model Licensure Act (MLA) in 2010. The MLA recommends licensure language that includes counting pre-internship hours towards licensure. A change in this direction generally decreases or eliminates the need for postdoctoral hours toward licensure. Currently 18 states have licensure language to this effect.
There are good arguments for getting the rest of our states on the same page. Generally, the quality of training and number of practicum hours completed during graduate school has increased, as has student debt load. Allowing licensure applicants to count those practicum hours and get their careers started earlier gives financial relief without sacrificing quality. Additionally, with the advent of a competency-based exam for licensure, there are few worries about general competence.
One hurdle to starting to work on a big issue like this is where to get started. APA’s Committee on Early Career Psychologists helped develop a toolkit to guide you through the process. On the toolkit, you will find case studies, advocacy advice and training data to help support your case. If this is something you are interested in, reach out to your SPTA or ECP committee to start gathering support. Once you have a committed group of advocates together, consider applying for the Early Career Licensure Project Award.
Many states are looking for ideas to recruit more ECPs and many ECPs are looking for opportunities to engage in state-level advocacy. Easing the path to licensure is a great win for both, as a clear commitment to ECPs from supportive SPTAs and a relatively non-controversial (outside of psychology) issue for new advocates to develop relationships with their legislators. I hope this helps some of you get the process started. If you get stuck, please reach out to me directly and we can find resources to help you get moving!