What is the Interstate Compact?
On April 20th, it was announced that Tennessee became the 19th state to adopt the Audiology and Speech Language Pathology - Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC)! What exactly is the ASLP-IC, and how does it work?
Who: The ASLP-IC involves an ASLP-IC Commission that will oversee the activities of the ASLP-IC, including issuing privileges to practice to eligible speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
What: The ASLP-IC simultaneously ensures public protection while also facilitating the practice of speech-language pathologists and audiologists across states, both through telehealth and in-person therapy (The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, n.d.).
Where: 19 states have currently agreed to adopt the ASLP-IC! These include Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisianna, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and New Hampshire. States with pending legislation include Washington, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, South Carolina, and Vermont (Compact Map, n.d.).
When: Now that enough states have joined the ASLP-IC, the Commission is currently convening and establishing the necessary laws and bylaws to put it into practice. Their goal is to start providing privilege to practice by the end of the 2022 or the beginning of 2023.
Why: According to the ASLP-IC website, the ASLP-IC will support military spouses, ensure continuity of care, increase choice and access to services, and, overall, simplify the application process for speech-language pathologists and audiologists moving states (The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact, n.d.).
Stay tuned to the ASLP-IC website for more updates!
-Erika Baldwin, M.S., CCC-SLP
References:
Compact Map. ASLPCompact. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://aslpcompact.com/compact-map/
The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact. ASLPCompact. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://aslpcompact.com/