The Solution: Making Mental Health Care Work for How Young People Actually Live
Our Mission
Therapy Without Borders is working to ensure that Pennsylvania's young people can access and maintain mental health care—regardless of where they go to school, where they move, or which state lines they cross.
We believe that mental health care should follow the patient, not the zip code. And we're advocating for common-sense policy changes that make continuous, high-quality care possible for children, teens, and young adults across Pennsylvania and beyond.
The Vision: Mental Health Care That Moves With You
Imagine a system where:
A high school senior can continue therapy with a trusted clinician when they leave for college in another state
A college student studying in Pennsylvania can maintain care with their established therapist back home
A family that relocates doesn't have to start the search for mental health care from scratch
A student studying abroad for a semester doesn't lose months of therapeutic progress
Young people can access the right specialist—even if that specialist isn't in their state
This isn't a radical reimagining of mental health care. It's how care should have worked all along.
How We Get There: Three Policy Priorities
1. Modernize Interstate Licensure for Mental Health Professionals
The current state-by-state licensing system was designed for a different era. We need updated frameworks that:
Allow qualified, licensed therapists to provide care across state lines
Maintain rigorous professional standards and accountability
Reduce administrative barriers that prevent willing clinicians from serving patients in need
Support participation in interstate compacts that enable multi-state practice
The goal: Make it easier for licensed professionals to practice where they're needed—without compromising quality or safety.
2. Expand and Protect Tele-Mental Health Access
The pandemic proved that telehealth works for mental health care. Now we need permanent policies that:
Preserve the ability for therapists to provide virtual care across state lines
Ensure insurance coverage parity for telehealth services
Support technology infrastructure that makes virtual care accessible
Protect the therapeutic relationships that were established during emergency flexibilities
The goal: Ensure that virtual care is a permanent, reliable option—not a temporary exception.
3. Prioritize Continuity of Care for Young People
Mental health treatment works best when it's consistent. We need policies that:
Recognize the unique developmental needs of children, teens, and young adults
Create pathways for maintaining established therapeutic relationships during transitions
Support care coordination across state lines for college students and mobile populations
Remove bureaucratic obstacles that interrupt treatment at critical moments
The goal: Put clinical judgment and patient need ahead of administrative boundaries.
Why These Changes Matter
For Young People:
No more starting over every time life circumstances change
Access to the right therapist, not just the closest one
Continuity during the exact moments when stability matters most
For Families:
Less time searching, more time healing
Peace of mind that care won't disappear mid-treatment
Confidence that progress won't be lost to paperwork
For Clinicians:
Ability to continue treating patients they know and care about
Reduced administrative burden and licensing complexity
Opportunity to serve more patients who need specialized care
For Pennsylvania:
Better mental health outcomes for our young people
More efficient use of existing clinical workforce
A system that actually matches the reality of modern life
This Is Already Working in Other States
Pennsylvania doesn't need to reinvent the wheel. Other states and national initiatives have already shown the path forward:
Interstate licensure compacts are enabling mental health professionals to practice across multiple states while maintaining high standards
Permanent telehealth policies are expanding access in states that chose not to roll back pandemic-era flexibilities
Cross-border care provisions for students and mobile populations are reducing treatment interruptions
These aren't experimental ideas. They're proven solutions that are improving care right now—just not yet in Pennsylvania.
What Success Looks Like
We'll know we've succeeded when:
A young person's mental health care is as portable as their school enrollment
Families don't have to choose between therapeutic progress and life opportunities
"Where can I continue seeing my therapist?" isn't a question anyone has to ask
Pennsylvania is a leader in youth mental health policy, not a laggard
The Work Ahead
Therapy Without Borders is building a coalition of families, clinicians, educators, and policymakers who understand that this problem is urgent—and solvable.
We're working to:
Educate Pennsylvania legislators about how current policies harm young people
Build public awareness of barriers families face every day
Connect with national advocacy efforts for mental health policy reform
Support evidence-based solutions that improve access without compromising care quality
Amplify the voices of young people and families who have experienced these barriers firsthand
Mental Health Care Shouldn't Have Borders. And It Doesn't Have To.
The youth mental health crisis is real. The solutions are within reach. What's missing isn't knowledge or resources—it's political will.
Pennsylvania has an opportunity to lead on this issue. To show that we value our young people's mental health enough to update policies that no longer serve them. To choose progress over inertia.
The question is simple: Will we?
Join Us
Whether you're a parent who's hit these barriers, a clinician frustrated by outdated rules, a student who's lost access to care, or a policymaker ready to make change—there's a role for you in this work.
Together, we can build a mental health care system that actually works for Pennsylvania's young people.
Because when it comes to mental health care, state lines shouldn't matter. Getting better should.