Regarding an EAP program serving clients nationwide, what is the likely legality of practicing across state lines?

• A. Always legal
• B. Legal as long as the employer approves
• C. Probably not legally
• D. Only if the client consents

Answer: (C)

Licensure rules drive this. There isn’t a single national license that covers every state, so the ability to provide mental health services to clients located in different states depends on holding a license in each state where a client is located at the time of the session (or operating under an approved interstate practice framework). Employer approval or client consent does not by itself legalize practice across state lines. Some professions have interstate compacts or specific programs (like PSYPACT for psychologists) that allow practice across member states, but these are limited to particular professions and states and not universally available. Without having the appropriate licenses or an applicable compact in place, offering services across state lines is typically not legal.