APA Services conducted a targeted advocacy summit on November 14, 2022, in a final push for passage of a comprehensive mental health legislative package before the end of the current legislative session. Following a letter sent to Senate committee leadership (PDF, 368KB)opens in new window, 40 federal advocacy coordinators and experienced psychologist advocates from 27 states met with House and Senate leaders, as well as Senators on key healthcare committees to discuss the national need for improved mental and behavioral health services.
On November 13, 2022, APA Services held sessions to inform the advocates on the status of the comprehensive mental health legislation and highlight APA Services’ priorities for inclusion in the bill. Senior Director of Congressional and Federal Relations, and Special Projects Alexandra Ginsberg, MPH, opened the summit and introduced 2022 APA President Frank C. Worrell, PhD, and Chief Advocacy Officer Katherine B. McGuire, MS, for welcoming messages. Worrell welcomed the advocates and discussed the timeliness of their participation, as well as the necessity of bringing their professional experiences into their messaging to Congress. “We are at a pivotal moment in mental health policy,” he noted, “with an opportunity to both remedy longstanding disparities in access to care and guide the future of mental health treatment.” McGuire gave a behind-the-scenes look at how the recent midterm election may impact APA Services’ advocacy and federal mental health policy. She gave attendees an overview of the association’s priorities for Congress’ lame duck session and provided information on the issues competing with mental health in the current policy landscape, emphasizing the need to advocate for the mental health legislative package before the end of the year.
Senior Director for Congressional and Federal Relations, and Education Policy Lead Kenneth Polishchuk, MA, and Legislative and Regulatory Officer Andrew Strickland, JD, provided advocates with an overview of the summit’s legislative asks. Advocates met specifically with House and Senate leadership, members of the Senate Finance Committee, and members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee—each of which required a slightly different targeted approach. In their meetings with Congressional leadership, participants urged Congress to pass the mental health legislative package, and when meeting with Senate Finance and HELP committee members they made arguments on specific bills and policies to be included within the package related to Medicare and Medicaid coverage, integrated care, and telehealth. View more information on each legislative request (PDF, 82KB)opens in new window. The advocates were met with broadly receptive messages for the bipartisan legislative package. We hope to see more information on mental health legislation before the end of 2022.