Justin Bennett sits on the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers and serves as the compact commissioner for Missouri, the first state to sign on to the compact. The compact will allow social workers to practice in multiple states with a single “compact license.” (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

After Justin Bennett graduated from the University of Missouri–St. Louis with a BSW and an MSW, he remembers asking what he thought was a perfectly reasonable question: “Can I practice in another state?”

The answer was more complicated than Bennett anticipated. At that time, more than a decade ago, there was no system of reciprocity between states regarding social work licenses. Interstate practice required licensure in each additional state, a time-consuming process that could cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to meet differing licensing standards and continuing education requirements.

That is now poised to change thanks to the Social Work Interstate Licensing Compact, and Bennett is at the forefront of this momentous shift in the social work field. Bennett sits on the Missouri State Committee for Social Workers and serves as the compact commissioner for Missouri, the first state to sign on to the compact.

“It’s exciting that Missouri was the first state,” he says. “It’s something that I’ve wanted for well over a decade, and I know there are professionals who have been practicing longer than I have who have wanted it, as well as younger professionals who have been joining the profession and understand the utility of being mobile.”

Fundamentally, the compact is a legal contract between states allowing social workers to practice in multiple states with a single “compact license.” To join the accord, states must pass the model legislation put forth by the Council of State Governments. To date, 22 states are on board.

The push for the compact began in 2021 with a $500,000 Department of Defense grant to develop interstate licensure for social workers as part of an initiative to promote professional mobility for military spouses. However, the benefits are wide ranging. Bennett points to digital practice, which has become increasingly popular, and the ability to maintain a greater continuum of care for clients.

“It’s enhancing the mobility of social workers,” he says. “It’s improving access to professional social work services. We have a lot of clients who travel for work, students who go home on break, or families who may have to relocate.”

Bennett estimates compact licenses will be available in one to two years.

“It’s just a matter of operationalizing the compact,” he says. “So, that’s setting the fees, the licensing system, the national database. Basically, it’s developing processes and bylaws, and really examining how to make this an equitable process representative of the social work community and the clients we serve.”

This story was originally published in the fall 2024 issue of UMSL Magazine. If you have a story idea for UMSL Magazine, email magazine@umsl.edu.