APA Advocacy Washington Update

June 17, 2020 (PDF, 644KB)

• Write your senators: Boost funding to reimburse COVID-related losses to researchers
• Advocating for extended telehealth flexibility
• Submitting congressional testimony on police reforms
• Improving the federal COVID-19 response in communities of color
• Preserving federal non-discrimination in health-care protections
• Supporting mental health block grant-funded crisis care services
• Calling for extension of telehealth services' expansion
• APA member appointed to new commission on safety and quality in nursing homes

June 3, 2020 (PDF, 644KB)

• Using psychology to address inequality.
• Calling for extension of telehealth policies after COVID-19 emergency.
• Cultivating congressional relationships with state psychological associations.
• Bolstering support for students with disabilities in response to COVID-19.
• Responding to the behavioral health crisis caused by the pandemic.
• Supporting nursing home legislation.

May 20, 2020 (PDF, 207KB)

• Urging Congress to provide emergency funding for mental health.
• Ensuring telehealth coverage in ERISA health plans during the COVID-19 emergency.
• Advocating for psychology students and borrowers impacted by COVID-19.
• Requesting more support for students and educators.
• Calling for a permanent legislative fix for DACA recipients.

May 6, 2020 (PDF, 443KB)

• Integrated advocacy success: Psychologists can now provide phone-only services.
• Encouraging support for COVID-19-related research.
• Advocating for equity in internet access for students learning from home.
• Mitigating COVID-19-related learning loss with state and local leaders.
• Addressing the heightened risk of child abuse and neglect during COVID-19.
• Bolstering federal support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

April 22, 2020 (PDF, 470KB)

• Requesting better data collection and reporting of COVID-19 health disparities.
• Bringing the social and behavioral science of pandemics to Capitol Hill.
• Seeking to prevent disability-based discrimination in coronavirus cases.
• Supporting psychologists in the public service workforce.
• Addressing housing instability and homelessness spurred by COVID-19.
• Proposing ways to enhance the behavioral and social science infrastructure.

April 8, 2020 (PDF, 194KB)

• Urging the administration to allow audio-only telemental health services for Medicare patients.
• Asking states to waive licensing restrictions in the wake of COVID-19.
• Guiding states and health providers on avoiding disability-based discrimination.
• Supporting students with disabilities.
• Shaping the NIH Strategic Plan Framework.

April 1, 2020 (PDF, 204KB)

• Advocating for psychologists, students and the public in third COVID-19 stimulus package.
• CMS further expands psychologists’ ability to provide telehealth.
• Calling on all states to lift restrictions on telehealth services. 
• Gaining senator support for Medicare audio-only telehealth coverage.

March 24, 2020 (PDF, 424KB)

• Calling for priority behavioral health measures in COVID-19 bill.
• Protecting seniors and individuals with disabilities during COVID-19.
• Advocating for psychology students, campus safety and student mental health during the COVID-19 crisis.

March 18, 2020 (PDF, 416KB)

• Ensuring Medicare patients have access to telehealth during COVID-19 emergency.
• Rallying Congressional support to fully fund critical state block grant for schools.
• Advocating for APA priorities at the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice.

March 2-6, 2020 (PDF, 656KB)

• Working with Capitol Hill to expand access to psychological services and training.
• Supporting immigrants' mental health with new legislation.
• Expanding access to intensive behavioral therapy for obesity care.
• Supporting NIH's ability to fund more science.
• Working with veterans on safe firearms storage.

Feb. 24-28, 2020 (PDF, 247KB)

• In response to coronavirus, reducing barriers to telehealth services.
• Calling for oversight hearings to protect immigrant children.
• Supporting the essential role of research in improving teaching and learning.
• Advocating for APA’s fiscal year 2021 appropriations priorities.

Feb. 16-20, 2020 (PDF, 337KB)

• Calling for immediate halt to sharing confidential psychotherapy notes.
• Raising concerns about possible religious discrimination in care.
• Seeking to improve mental health care and discipline in schools.

Feb. 10-14, 2020 (PDF, 310KB)

• A new advocacy network to mobilize psychologists.
• Urging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services not to impose major Medicare cuts in 2021.
• Calling for an immediate halt to sharing immigrant youths' confidential psychotherapy notes with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Putting the president’s fiscal year 2021 budget in perspective.
• Bringing psychology to new substance use disorder advisory committee.

Feb. 3-7, 2020 (PDF, 337KB)

• Advising Congress on the mental health issues associated with climate change. 
• Speaking out against Medicare’s proposed cuts in reimbursement. 
• Raising awareness about pediatric mental health. 
• Supporting Medicare coverage of services for eating disorders. 

Jan. 27-31, 2020 (PDF, 346KB)

• Working to ease the addiction crisis.
• Raising awareness about traumatic brain injuries in military and veterans.
• Reducing barriers to fentanyl research.
• Speaking out on Supreme Court ruling that could immigrant services.
• Advancing suicide prevention research.
• Advising White House on the research environment.

Jan. 20-24, 2020 (PDF, 369KB)

• Advancing role of psychological pain management.
• Focusing on black youth suicide and mental health.
• Increasing access to whole-person care.
• Improving care for veterans with serious mental illness.

Jan. 13-17, 2020 (359KB)

• Statement on regulatory burden for cannabis researchers.
• Expanding early childhood mental health services.
• Sharing suicide prevention priorities.
• Campaigning to increase access to mental health services.
• Advocating for regulatory changes.
• Welcoming new members of APA Advocacy Coordinating Committee.

Jan. 6-10, 2020 (PDF, 357KB)

• APA's 2020 advocacy priorities.
• Calling for more basic and clinical psychological research.
• Talking with Sen. Gillibrand about health confidentiality.
• Hand-delivering APA report on psychology of immigration to every member of Congress.
• Addressing rural mental health and suicide prevention with Senate committee.