Many people are unaware that our mental health care legally ends at the state line until they travel for school, work, or family, reach for care, and find it is not available to them.
Massachusetts is now the last New England state not participating in PSYPACT. Without it, your care doesn’t follow you; it follows your GPS dot, and only as far as the border.
Share this website, post about the issue, or forward our resources; and share as you are able from personal impacts of the current law.
Call
Send postcard
Visit offices
• Follow this link to find your elected officials
• Email your State Senator & State Representative using our sample scripts
Particularly if you are in Senator Finegold or Representative Michlewitz's districts
Email:
Co-chair Sen. Barry Finegold
Co-chair Rep. Aaron M. Michlewitz
While the bill is in active negotiation, contact the committee members even if you are not in their district. Express the personal toll of the current law or your perspective on why PSYPACT is a priority for you.
Using the links above for Find My Legislator and the Committee Members, make a few phone calls. It takes under two minutes and makes a huge difference.
Expect to go to voicemail, plan to leave the message, speak slowly. Your call will be tallied.
Co-chair Sen. Barry Finegold - (617) 722-1612
Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues - (617) 722-1114, District: 508-646-0650
Sen. Peter J. Durant - (617) 722-1540
Co-chair Rep. Aaron M. Michlewitz - (617) 722-2990
Rep. Carole Fiola - (617) 722-2430
Rep. Michael J. Soter - (617) 722-2488
Share these materials with them. This multiplies impact instantly.
We need multiple constituents in each district to contact their officials.
We need officials from multiple districts to contact the Ways & Means Chairs.
Use our print-at-home template for 4"x6" postcards pre-formatted with the ask. Just print on card stock or the Avery 8660 stock. For choose-your-own stock at hand, please note postal requirements:
Minimum size: 3.5" × 5"
Maximum size: 4.25" × 6"
Thickness: 0.007" to 0.016"
Paper type: cardstock (no flimsy paper)
Most home cardstock is:
65 lb (light but acceptable)
80 lb (ideal)
100 lb (premium)
Or you can email HelpMACARE@proton.me with your mailing address and how many post cards and flyers you can commit to distributing. You will receive postcards, flyer printouts, and script printouts. The postcards will require a stamp.
Right now, a Massachusetts-licensed therapist is not legally permitted to treat a patient who is temporarily or permanently out of state unless that therapist holds a valid license or legal authorization in the destination state. If they agree to do so, they are risking their license and livelihood.
We’re launching a simple, high-impact push to help Massachusetts finally join the PSYPACT compact — so our friends can keep their therapists when they cross a state line for school.
Instructions:
Please avoid naming your therapist, your clinic, or any details that could identify them.
Fill out this form to send your story to us – be sure not to send identifying information that would expose therapists or patients who were not aware; below you will find sample prompts that do not require exposure.
Recruit a MA friend to send a postcard, email, or phone call to their elected MA official citing your story, using an impact statement along the lines of “this is happening to my friend at school.”
Email your elected officials: include your name, zip code, and school; and a brief impact statement “This (brief story) is happening to my friend.”
Recruit your family to send postcard, email, or phone call to their elected MA official citing your friend’s story, again being sure not to include harmful identifying details. Provide them these resources.
Raise awareness with local chaplaincy and health services, and offer resources.
Look through our documents for an action summary, more information, and Human Impact scenarios. Share our general and student flyers for more awareness.
Email and/or call your elected officials: include your name, zip code, and your student’s school; and a brief impact statement “This (brief story) is happening to [my student/student in my care/students at my institution].”
Be sure not to send identifying information that would expose therapists or students; below you will find sample prompts that do not require exposure.