STATEHOUSE (March 28, 2025) – State Rep. Lori Goss-Reaves (R-Marion) sponsored a Senate bill aimed at improving access to mental health and behavioral health professional licensure in Indiana.
Senate Enrolled Act 216, which passed the House on Tuesday, is designed to streamline the licensure process for social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and addiction counselors. A major change in the bill would allow them to be licensed as an associate before they begin accruing clinical experience hours, ensuring that all candidates are officially recognized and adhere to standardized guidelines at the outset.
"The need for qualified mental health professionals continues to grow, and we need to ensure that Indiana's licensing process is efficient and adaptable to meet this demand," Goss-Reaves said. "I'm committed to continue working with the stakeholders over the summer to further improve Hoosier's access to mental health care."
As of 2024, all 92 Indiana counties were federally designated as areas with mental health workforce shortages. In 2023, the Indiana University Richard M Fairbanks School of Public Health estimated that untreated mental illness costs Indiana more than $4 billion annually. Goss-Reaves said his highlights the critical need for qualified mental health professionals across the state
In 2016, the General Assembly added the Licensed Bachelor Social Work for individuals with a BSW from a Council of Social Work Education accredited program. The new legislation will allow bachelor level social workers to take their licensure exam during the last semester of their undergraduate studies.
Additionally, this bill updates the provisions related to temporary licenses and allows individuals to practice under a temporary license to accrue clinical experience hours which could be transferred to satisfy the supervised post-degree experience requirement before their temporary license expires. Goss-Reaves said these changes would be a step towards better meeting the mental health needs of Hoosiers by enabling more individuals to enter the profession and obtain licensure without necessary delays.
Senate Enrolled Act 216 passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support. To learn more about the legislative process, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Lori Goss-Reaves (R-Marion) represents House District 31,
which includes portions of Grant and Madison counties.
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