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Health equity and access

Educating Congress on the value of the Minority Fellowship Program

APA Services hosted a Hill briefing with Congresswoman Nanette Barragán to highlight the importance of funding for the Minority Fellowship Program

Date created: May 1, 2024 2 min read
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American Psychological Association. (2024, May 1). Educating Congress on the value of the Minority Fellowship Program. https://www.apaservices.org/advocacy/news/educating-congress-mfp

Kylie Dotson-Blake, PhD; Sherry Molock, PhD; Stefanie Reeves, FASAE, CAE; Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, RN; and Michele Reid, MD

On April 18, 2024, APA Services hosted a briefing on Capitol Hill to educate members of Congress and their staff about the importance of increasing funding for the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP). Representatives from the American Nurses Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the National Board for Certified Counselors also joined the event. APA Services works closely with these organizations to increase visibility and advocate for increased funding for the program.

Nanette Barragán

Representative Nanette Barragán (D–California)

Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (D–California), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus gave opening remarks, followed by presentations from the speakers: Kylie Dotson-Blake, PhD, National Board for Certified Counselors; Sherry Molock, PhD, George Washington University; Stefanie Reeves, FASAE, CAE, and APA; Michele Reid, MD, American Psychiatric Association; and Liz Stokes, PhD, JD, RN, American Nurses Association. All the speakers emphasized the importance of increasing funding for MFP and how the program has helped increase the number of individuals of color in their respective professions. They also spoke about the unique ways in which the program has impacted their individual professions and careers and emphasized that more funding is needed to continue to expand and diversify the healthcare workforce. Molock spoke about her personal experience as an MFP fellow and how the program helped shape her career.



For many years, APA Services has prioritized advocating for increased funding for MFP. The program serves a dual purpose of both increasing the number of people of color in the mental health workforce and expanding access to mental health services in underserved areas. It provides funding for the training, career development, and mentoring of mental and behavioral health professionals to work with people of color, with a strong focus on cultural and linguistic competency to adequately address the needs in underserved communities. Strong barriers for people of color to access mental health services continue to persist. MFP is essential to expanding and diversifying the mental health workforce to remove these barriers. APA Services will continue to work with other organizations to increase funding for this crucial program.

To learn more about the program or apply for a fellowship, visit MFP online or contact Serena Dávila.