On April 9, 2025, APA Services submitted testimony (PDF, 232KB)opens in new windowto the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies urging Congress to support programs that promote psychological science and workforce development and expand mental and behavioral health services for fiscal year (FY) 2026. APA’s Chief Advocacy Officer Katherine McGuire, MSc, emphasized “the programs under the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction are fundamental to the health, education, and well-being of all Americans.” They extend from early childhood education to workforce development, research, as well as public health initiatives, including:
- The National Institutes of Health
- The Graduate Psychology Education and Minority Fellowship Programs
- Head Start
- The Department of Education’s school-based mental health service programs
- The Mental Health Services and Substance Use Disorder Block Grants
- 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services
APA Services also shared its alarm regarding the recent widespread staffing cuts and elimination of entire offices within HHS, as well as the proposed elimination of the Department of Education, raising serious concerns regarding the ability of the agencies to administer the programs under their jurisdiction. “Indiscriminately dismantling these public health, education, and research agencies will set our country back decades in terms of developing breakthroughs in psychological science, addressing mental and behavioral health care workforce shortages, and meeting the behavioral health needs of communities nationwide,” McGuire said. The association also called on Congress to assert its constitutional authority and ensure that any funding duly appropriated is disbursed with fidelity to the law.
APA Services will continue to support public health, education, and research protections because the stakes could not be higher.
For more information, contact Angela L. Sharpe or Raegina Likewise.