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Psychologists and lawmakers back senior‑licensure pathway to let experienced out‑of‑state psychologists practice in Massachusetts
Summary
Supporters told the Joint Committee a senior‑psychologist licensure category would let seasoned clinicians licensed elsewhere obtain Massachusetts credentials without having to re‑create decades‑old documentation; proponents said the change would expand access to care.
Supporters of bills establishing a senior‑psychologist licensure pathway told the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure that outdated documentation rules are keeping experienced clinicians from obtaining Massachusetts licensure and practicing in the state.
Senator Lovely testified she has received complaints from psychologists licensed for decades in other states who cannot satisfy Massachusetts board requirements that applicants produce signed internship and training documentation from many decades earlier. “The licensure requirement…seems like it's written for new graduates in mind,” she said, explaining the practical barriers older applicants face when supervisors are unavailable or records are lost.
The Massachusetts Psychological Association urged passage of H462 and S255 to create a pathway recognizing a doctoral degree plus long‑standing licensure and practice in another state as sufficient evidence of competence for seniors. “A license that's been maintained for decades without issue should be proof enough that someone is qualified, competent and ethical,” Beth Durske, testifying for the association, said.
The committee heard personal stories of clinicians who had been unable to obtain full Massachusetts licensure despite long practices elsewhere. Dr. Rick Alper (testimony given under the name in the transcript), a psychologist licensed in New York since 1983, said the state’s board repeatedly requested documentation from training that occurred decades ago and required coursework that he and his trainers could not access as a non‑matriculated student. After several years, he said he gave up pursuing licensure in Massachusetts despite a clean disciplinary record and existing telehealth permissions in other states.
Supporters argued the change would increase the supply of experienced clinicians in Massachusetts and help address wait lists and workforce shortages, especially in underserved regions. The proposed bills would instruct the board to create a senior‑licensure category so that applicants with decades of verified practice and clean records could become licensed without reconstructing unavailable archival paperwork.
No committee vote was taken. Committee members asked questions about how a senior‑licensure pathway would be structured and how the board would verify fitness to practice; proponents said the board could rely on verified out‑of‑state licensure, disciplinary history and other modern verification tools rather than original internship forms.
