2025 Advocacy priorities

The American Psychological Association’s strategic priorities and advocacy priorities are rooted in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and grounded in psychological science. The EDI principles that guide the advocacy priorities described below include nondiscrimination, health equity for marginalized populations, and health promotion across the lifespan and settings. Keeping these guiding principles at the forefront of advocacy for psychology, while promoting the just development, broader utilization, and effective implementation of psychological science, ensures the greatest impact on society. APA’s advocacy priorities are informed by the results of a biennial representative survey of the membership, and guide the association in its approach to addressing critical issues.

The Association is committed to continuing robust federal and state advocacy for policies that are unique to psychological research, training, and practice where psychologists have a vested interest and where we lead independent advocacy efforts. APA’s framework recognizes the interdependence of our advocacy priorities in a dynamic political environment, and that most advocacy efforts advance multiple priorities. The approach also acknowledges that APA is most effective as an organization when it and its members collaborate with other stakeholders as part of coalitions to advance our priorities. The advocacy priorities are designed to invest in long-term advocacy goals, while creating opportunities to respond to opportunities or challenges that arise in the current political landscape.

The portfolio framework and related advocacy priorities are as follows:

Psychological research, infrastructure, and regulatory environment

Funding and promotion of basic, clinical, and applied psychological research

Advocate for increased funding for basic, clinical, and applied psychological research within key agencies, foundations, and funding sources (e.g., National Institutes of Health [NIH], National Science Foundation [NSF], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], Department of Defense [DoD], Department of Education [Ed], Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]).

Issues that advance this priority include: Climate Change; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Technology and Behavior at Work; Military and Veterans; Suicide Prevention.

Science infrastructure and regulatory environment

Promote ethical, peer-reviewed, human and non-human animal forms of psychological and interdisciplinary research.

Issues that advance this priority include: Criminal Justice and Policing; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Promoting and Defending Research.

Technology and Behavior at Work

Advance the science and practice of applied psychology in managing the significant impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and other technologies on workers, mentoring relationships, and teams. Amplify the increasingly critical role that technology plays across the span of work, including recruitment and hiring, worker mental health and well-being, formal and informal training, team safety and effectiveness, and organizational culture.

Issues that advance this priority include: Technology and Behavior at Work.

Practice of psychology and psychology workforce

Access to health services, including mental and behavioral health services

Ensure affordable and equitable access to evidence-based health and behavioral health services, including audio-only telehealth, within public and private healthcare delivery systems. Promote changes in public and private health insurance coverage and reimbursement policies and practices to facilitate psychologists’ participation in these programs. Expand the role of psychologists on interprofessional, integrated care teams and strengthen parity enforcement. Protect and strengthen safety net programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), child-care, family leave, nutritional assistance, economic stability, and housing programs. Ensure that the development and implementation of new healthcare provider payment models promote increased access to behavioral health services.

Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Children, Youth, and Families; Health Equity; Immigration; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Military and Veterans; Pre-K to 12 Education; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Suicide Prevention; Substance Use Disorders; Telehealth.

Psychology workforce development across the lifespan

Improve equitable access to graduate study for psychology, including student financial aid programs, loan repayment, and loan forgiveness programs. Enhance training and leadership skills of the next generation of culturally competent, diverse psychologists, engage students, and secure federal funding for psychology workforce training programs, including accredited internships, and post-doctoral fellowships that expand interprofessional training opportunities working with underserved populations. Increase accessibility of equitable training opportunities and licensure preparation for all psychology trainees.

Issues that advance this priority include: Higher Education; Workforce Development.

Reimbursement and scope of practice

Ensure equitable reimbursement for the full range of psychologists’ and trainee services, including psychotherapy, health and behavior assessment, and telehealth services. Leverage federal with state efforts promoting licensure, credentialing, distinguishing the value of the doctoral degree, and achieving rate reimbursement at parity with other doctoral providers. Promote psychologists in federal and state health programs, such as ensuring psychologists have the ability to provide Medicare and Medicaid services to the full scope of their licensure and supporting VA recruitment and retention of psychologists.

Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Telehealth.

Training and Practice in Applied Psychology

Expand training and practice opportunities for applied psychologists in public and private sectors in areas such as human performance, motivation, leadership and personnel assessment (e.g., employment testing for hiring and training), conflict resolution, and civic engagement. Promote public recognition of the value added by applied psychologists in these endeavors across multiple settings including those that are outside of where psychologists are commonly employed.

Issues that advance this priority include: Workforce Development; Substance Use Disorders, Climate Change, and Technology and Behavior at Work

Health equity and social justice

Health equity for underserved and vulnerable populations

Promote health equity and access to culturally competent care for diverse populations by reducing disparities in health attributed to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, geography, disability, age, socioeconomic status and poverty, and underserved and vulnerable populations, including tribal communities, children, immigrants, veterans, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Climate Change; Health Equity; Immigration; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Military and Veterans; Substance Use Disorders; Telehealth.

Criminal justice

Use psychological research to advance criminal justice reform, improve police-community relations, promote secure firearms storage and lethal means safety strategies, and to address the disparate impact of mass incarceration on marginalized communities.

Issues that advance this priority include: Children, Youth, and Families; Criminal Justice and Policing; Gun Violence Prevention.

Human rights and racial equity

Promote human rights and combat discrimination in all forms and settings, including education, healthcare, and workplace. Oppose efforts to curtail rights of women, sexual and gender minorities, individuals with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other marginalized populations. Continue advocacy around federal immigration policies related to humane treatment of immigrants and refugees.

Issues that advance this priority include: Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Health Equity; Immigration; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Substance Use Disorders.

Population health

Health promotion and prevention throughout lifespan and settings

Support the psychological wellbeing and healthy development of children and adults, including access to developmentally appropriate mental health services and population-based prevention and health promotion programs across the lifespan and settings.

Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Climate Change; Health Equity; Immigration; Military and Veterans; Telehealth.

Application of psychological science to Pre-K, K-12, and higher education

Ameliorate education disparities from birth through higher education, including childcare services and universal pre-K programs; teacher preparation and access to well-rounded education; psychology as a STEM discipline; and APA high school psychology curricula standards.

Issues that advance this priority include: Higher Education; Pre-K to 12 Education; Workforce Development.

Substance use disorders and addictions

Advocate for policies to increase access to evidence-based practices for the prevention and treatment of and recovery from substance use disorders and addictions. Promote the expertise of psychologists in the development and implementation of non-pharmacological interventions for pain management and addictions.

Issues that advance this priority include: Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Mental Health Parity; Substance Use Disorders.

Violence and suicide prevention

Utilize psychological research to reduce suicide and interpersonal violence, including gun violence. Increase school safety and educate the public, policymakers, and law enforcement about non-violent conflict resolution, impact of trauma exposure, and the need for trauma-informed interventions.

Issues that advance this priority include: Children, Youth, and Families; Criminal Justice and Policing; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Gun Violence Prevention; Military and Veterans; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Suicide Prevention.

Environmental Sustainability

Educate the public and apply psychological research to combat climate change and address its impacts on mental health and vulnerable marginalized communities. Support the application of psychological science to individual, community, and societal responses to climate change and environmental sustainability, and the ability of psychologists to engage effectively in these efforts.

Issues that advance this priority include: Climate Change.

Advocacy resources


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Last updated: January 2025Date created: December 2020