In April 2017, the BHWRC released its first report on behavioral health scopes of practice (SOPs). SOPs define which services a state or territory allows a licensed or certified professional to perform. These essential constructs can vary by state, potentially leading to service coverage gaps on a national scale. The results of this study showed that SOPs lack standardization across states and professions nationally, with regard to SOPs. Peer and paraprofessionals, in particular, could use more formal SOPs, as many states have not codified the parameters of service authority or regulatory requirements for these professionals. Overall, more uniform definitions and requirements in SOPs would promote standardization and could aid reciprocity and endorsement procedures across states.
Click the image to the right to read the full report.