FEDERAL ADVOCACY UPDATEWeek of May 4APA Policy Updates We are asking all CPA members to take a few minutes to complete APA's action alert and contact your congressional representatives regarding the proposed NSF budget cuts and elimination of the SBE Directorate. Completing an action alert is one of the simplest and most direct ways you can advocate for our field and your voice as a psychologist carries real weight with lawmakers. Mental health professionals bring a perspective that no one else can: you understand firsthand what is at stake when federal support for behavioral and social science research is stripped away. The science that informs how we treat patients, train the next generation of psychologists, and address community mental health needs depends on sustained federal investment. Please don't let this moment pass: take action now.
Indian Health Service Appropriations APA Services submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies calling for increased FY2027 funding for Indian Health Service (IHS) programs particularly mental health services, substance use programs, Indian Health Professions programs, and the American Indians Into Psychology (INPSYC) Program, which trains American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals as psychologists. The request reflects stark health disparities: AI/AN individuals are 11% more likely to report mental illness than other U.S. adults but 17% less likely to have received treatment, are roughly twice as likely to die by suicide as the general population, and have the highest drug overdose death rate of any racial group in the U.S. This testimony is a critical step in ensuring that Congress hears from the psychological community about the urgent need for equitable mental health resources for AI/AN populations. APA plans to submit similar testimony to the Senate soon. |
