CPA Action Alerts 

 
Take Action Today

 

Take Action: Ask Congress to Protect Marriage Equality

Please take 2 minutes to ask your Senators to vote “yes” on the Respect for Marriage Act (S.4556). This legislation repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enshrines marriage equality in federal law, and provides additional legal protections for marriage equality. It does so by codifying the federal protections conferred by the Supreme Court of the United States in the Loving, Windsor, and Obergefell rulings. These landmark decisions stated that bans on marriage equality, interracial marriage and denial of federal marriage benefits are unconstitutional. The House of Representatives passed the bill with a strong bipartisan vote of 267-157. The psychology community is needed to keep the pressure on the Senate so they schedule a vote on the bill after the midterms. Click here to take action.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions! 

Michelle Dawson, PsyD
CPA Federal Advocacy Coordinator 
[email protected] 

Take Action Today

 

Closed Campaigns: 

As our nation continues to confront a national gun violence emergency, it is clear that psychology’s influence is needed now more than ever to address the crisis impacting families and our communities. APA Services has been at the forefront in fighting for common-sense and science-based solutions to address this public health emergency. With Congress on the cusp of passing the first comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years, we need your help.  

Please 
contact your Members of Congress as soon as possible and tell them to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. We expect these votes to happen shortly. This life-saving legislation makes critical investments in funding local initiatives like extreme risk protection order laws and crisis intervention programs as well as closing loopholes to reinforce firearms bans for domestic abusers. Moreover, the legislation will work to enhance the federal background check system for individuals under the age of 21 who attempt to purchase firearms. Also vital to these efforts is increasing access to mental health services and supports by expanding Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) and school-based health programs under Medicaid. There's still much more work to be done but these provisions, amongst others in the bill, are an important step forward in preventing gun violence tragedies.

Sincerely,

Katherine B. McGuire, MS
Chief Advocacy Officer
American Psychological Association


Dear Colleagues, 

Last year, many of you joined thousands of psychologists in commenting on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule for the CY2023 Physician Fee Schedule. These actions successfully shaped telehealth policies for behavioral health services during a critical period. This year, you can help to elevate the importance of equitable access to mental and behavioral health services and guide the future of behavioral health treatment. Please take two minutes to post a comment on CMS' proposed 2023 Physician Fee Schedule.

Several key proposals are at stake, including:

  • Fair reimbursement of behavioral health services provided via telehealth
  • Enhancement of psychology training and workforce development
  • Coverage of services provided in integrated care teams and settings
  • New reimbursement mechanisms for treatment furnished through evidence-based digital therapeutics devices and software
  • Coverage of psychologist-led training for groups of caregivers in evidence-based behavioral management techniques 
  • New bundled codes for chronic pain management and treatment that, as currently drafted, exclude most psychologists.

Your action is needed now for psychology to make an impactful statement. Whether preventing problematic proposals from moving forward or showing support for favorable policies, good policy becomes a reality only when we advocate in large numbers.

Michelle Dawson, PsyD
CPA Federal Advocacy Coordinator 
[email protected] 

Please do not sit this out - two minutes of action on your part can protect access to key psychological services and enhance equity for underserved communities! Please forward this on to others in the field! The numbers really matter!