How Does Universal Licensure Recognition Impact Integrated Behavioral Health Leadership Teams?

#integratedbehavioralhealth

#universallicensure

#accesstocare

#qualityimprovement

Universal Licensure Recognition (ULR) is a policy that allows licensed healthcare professionals to practice across state lines without obtaining additional licenses (Sims, 2020; State Policy Network, 2023). This policy has been implemented in several states in the US. The impact of ULR on Integrated Behavioral Health Leadership Teams is that it allows for more flexibility in staffing and can help to address workforce shortages (Sims, 2020). It also allows for more efficient use of resources and can improve access to care for patients (Sims, 2020).

Benefits of ULR

Universal licensing recognition policies have several benefits. According to the State Policy Network (2023) report these include boosting employment, lowering prices, and increasing the quality of licensing requirements. Universal licensing recognition creates jobs and boosts employment. Between 25 and 30 percent of all jobs require an occupational license (State Policy Network, 2023). And because most states don’t recognize the job licenses of other states, this means a quarter of the entire United States’ workforce must re-complete licensing requirements when they move to another state (State Policy Network, 2023).

Universal licensing recognition policies are designed to lower relicensing costs of movers across states, thereby improving their access to the labor market and boosting the local economy (State Policy Network, 2023). Given that these workers are already licensed and qualified, there are no obvious costs to consumers and workers from this reform (State Policy Network, 2023).

The Bias In The Process

Universal Licensure Recognition (ULR) policies stipulate that the proper licensing board/authority “shall” implement the policy or issue a license under the policy, with some exceptions (State Policy Network, 2023). When a state accepts licenses from other states, this is called universal recognition. States with universal recognition don’t automatically recognize another state’s license (State Policy Network, 2023). Instead, they apply common-sense standards to judge if another state license should be treated as valid (State Policy Network, 2023).

“Common-sense standards to judge” is very biased to the individuals reviewing the standards. We need to explore more effective approaches such as the use of lawyers to provide law and ethics courses on the proper use of the professional for that field within the law of that state. Once you have sat with a board and went through background checks, references, verification of continuing education and supervised clinical hours along with meeting the degree requirements, that is all that is needed. It is reviewed by several individuals within that one organization so quality is provided already.

The news highlights one unlicensed individual's harm to another as a way to discredit the use of unlicensed individuals and hide the harm to others committed by licensed individuals. I find that society is driven off of what they see and hear to make a perception or opinion instead of realizing the reality.

So, what would be the downside to universal licensure recognition? Aren’t we a society that gives opportunity for what can produce more good than bad? Isn’t the identification of bad or good dependent on the individuals involved?

Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Leadership Organizations

Organizations that provide integrated behavioral healthcare approaches and policies are organizations seeking to reduce the need for medications and other harmful additives to treatment. They seek to hire and train individuals that understand the importance of behavioral changes for the optimal healthcare outcomes.

Medications and substance use in general can lead to other health issues that are a conundrum over time. Healthcare providers are unaware of the interaction of different medications with one another and the outcomes that can impact your health. However, targeting the behaviors that drive your inability to change and tackle those is the best option to life.

In Cessation

These are just some ways integrated behavioral healthcare or integrated healthcare practices can utilize various different professionals to meet the needs of the populations being served to improve population health over time. Creating programs, policies, and procedures can improve many lives and not just one. Changing our behaviors is hard. We must tackle it with a team approach and with professionals and resources to help with financial barriers, job and career issues, family and friend discords, relationship/marital issues, and most of all system factors impeding on the success of society and leading to the lack of trust in the system.

Learn More/References

Comparing Universal Licensure Recognition Policies – Occupational Licensure Policy (csg.org)

Essential_Elements_of_an_Integrated_Team_Summary.pdf (thenationalcouncil.org)

Survey measures effectiveness of universal licensing recognition laws - GL Solutions

What is universal licensing recognition? | State Policy Network (spn.org)

Please leave any comments to this post. Visit me at https://www.virtuallyrenownedconsultingaccessllc.org/services today and get started with creating your practice or improve the one you currently have.