Congressional Champions

Congressman David Trone received the Congressional Champion Award during the 2021 Education Advocacy Summit. Trone introduced the Comprehensive Mental Health in Schools Pilot Program Act, which would provide resources for low-income schools to develop comprehensive, school-wide support systems that would enable them to meaningfully address both their students’ learning and overall well-being, create a more equitable educational experience, and set students up for future success. He is among the foremost leaders in the House of Representatives on issues critical to the health and well-being of children and students, and a longstanding advocate for access to mental health services. A founding member of the bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force in the House, he also introduced the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, the Medicaid Bump Act, and the Medicaid Reentry Act, to expand access to psychological services.

View the Congressional Advocacy Awards ceremony with Trone and Fitzpatrick.

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick received the Congressional Champion Award during the 2021 Education Advocacy Summit. Fitzpatrick introduced the Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act, which would expand mental health services in low-income schools by supporting partnerships between institutions of higher education and local education agencies to increase the number of school-based mental health professionals, including psychologists. Fitzpatrick has been a leader in improving access to quality mental health services and comprehensive education. He also recognizes the importance of providing mental health care in rural and underserved communities, and has been a proponent of more widespread access to mental and behavioral health services. A bipartisan leader, he is an original cosponsor of the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, the Medicaid Bump Act, and the Medicaid Reentry Act, to expand access to psychological services. Fitzpatrick is also a founding member of the bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force in the House..

View the Congressional Advocacy Awards ceremony with Trone and Fitzpatrick.

Congresswoman Johnson received the Congressional Champion Award at the 2021 Science Advocacy Summit for her longstanding efforts to preserve the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF) from funding cuts; protect NSF’s merit review process from political challenges and increase opportunities in STEM for women and communities of color. She has worked to provide for the health and well-being of the American people by expanding access to the most advanced, efficient, and affordable healthcare possible, including by co-sponsoring the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646).

As the first African American and woman to chair the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Congresswoman Johnson is also committed to expanding access to STEM education for all populations, especially for women and researchers of color. She recently introduced the Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act (H.R. 144/S.37) to establish early career fellowships at NSF. The legislation would authorize $250 million for the creation of a new two-year fellowship program at NSF for early career researchers, including psychological scientists, to help mitigate the adverse effects from COVID-19 on the U.S. research workforce.

Congresswoman Watson Coleman received the Congressional Champion Award during the 2021 Advocacy Summit on Telehealth and Health Equity for leadership in improving access to health and mental health services for all Americans. Equity, diversity, and inclusion principles are grounded in all her work, which has focused on environmental violations, criminal justice reform, and ensuring that bias and discrimination is pushed out of accessing everyday needs. In March of 2021, she worked to reintroduce the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act in the House of Representatives, which addresses disparities in access, care, and the study of mental health issues among people of color. APA Services commends her for introducing this bill that responds to the suicide emergency among Black youth, as well as so much of her past work, such as introducing bills that allow women to enroll in, or change, their health coverage if they become pregnant; amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in “public accommodations,” such as schools, recreational facilities and retail stores; and even make the purchase of diapers tax free.

Senator Angus King holds a strong commitment to bridging the partisan divide. Senator King regularly hosts dinners with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, at which political talk is banned and the sole focus is on getting to know one another. Senator King worked to gain enactment of legislation to improve access to effective opioid use disorder treatment, expand funding for broadband services, and is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ Americans. Senator King joined Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing the Mental and Behavioral Health Connectivity Act (S.3999). This legislation would have permanently expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services—beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency—to make it possible for Medicare beneficiaries to receive care in their homes and to receive audio-only services for mental and behavioral health care. Senators King and Young also joined their Senate colleague Tim Kaine, from Virginia, in introducing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which provides funding training, educational and health promotion programs, and a CDC-led mental health awareness campaign aimed at health care professionals. It was enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. He was presented the APA Services Congressional Champion Award during the 2021 Advocacy Summit on Telehealth and Health Equity.