It’s About Time: The Georgia Legislature Relieves Barrier to Recovery for Nurses and Counselors Struggling with Addiction

Currently, nurses, social workers, and professional counselors with substance abuse issues in Georgia may face immediate public disciplinary action by their respective professional licensing boards, discouraging them from seeking help until a crisis occurs or a formal complaint is filed against them. 

Since 2010, the Georgia Professional Health Program (“GA PHP”) has confidentially assisted physicians, veterinarians, dentists, and pharmacists with evaluation and services for mental health and substance abuse disorders, including helping these professionals with hospital credentialing and malpractice carriers without notifying the licensing Board. However, to date, no parallel organization has existed to assist nurses or counselors. Given this reality, it has been difficult to counsel nurses and counselors to do the right thing and get treatment because doing so often resulted in immediate discipline.

House Bill 219 changes that landscape, as it creates an alternative program allowing licensees of the Georga Nursing Board and the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists suffering from substance abuse or mental health issues to voluntarily and confidentially disclose their illness and seek treatment, providing a pathway to recovery.

Driven in part by the nursing shortage in Georgia, HB 219 establishes a system in which nurses, counselors, and social workers can seek much-needed help while they continue to work. Additionally, advocates hope that much like the GA PHP assists physicians etc. facing potential discipline by their respective Boards for addiction-related complaints, these new professional health programs will help nurses and counselors navigate through what can be an otherwise frightening process. The complete text of HB 219 can be found here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/230918