Americans for Autism Advocacy Statement on Georgia Legislature Professional Licensing Investigative Hearings

The Georgia Senate’s hearings scheduled for June 26th should be an opportunity to demand answers from Secretary of State Rafpensberger on The Peach State’s continual licensing woes

The Georgia General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Licensing Issues will hold a hearing on June 26, 2024 relating to the numerous issues that are still plaguing professional licensing in The Peach State.

Americans for Autism Advocacy previously called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-Georgia) in February to fix the glitches affecting Georgia’s new online systems for professional licensing.  AFAA believes that these hearings should be an opportunity for Georgia state lawmakers to demand accountability from the Secretary of State’s Office.  The Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards Division oversees licensing applicants for the Boards of Psychology and Professional Counseling that affect the lives of neurodiverse individuals in Georgia.

AFAA has questions for Georgia’s Lawmakers, including:

1. Why are applications for licensure for professional counselors still in downloadable paper forms and not an online application?

2. Why does Georgia have inconsistent online licensing applications as Psychologists can apply online and not licensed counselors?

3. Why does Georgia lack a single system to collect new and renewal licensing applications and can only accept online payment for renewals?

4. Will Georgia’s Secretary of State follow Florida’s model and post online the average number of days it takes to process licensure applications?

5. Will the Secretary of State ensure that mental health professionals who work with neurodiverse Georgians will not be impacted due to the licensing glitches?

Mental Health America in its 2023 State of Mental Health Report ranked Georgia 49th for access to overall mental health care, 47th for uninsured adults with mental health needs, and 47th for workforce availability.  Georgia deserves better and state lawmakers should demand Secretary of State Raffensperger to fix their online licensing system now.