In a testimony submitted to the House of Representatives’ Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (PDF, 242KB)opens in new window, APA Services urged Congress to continue its bipartisan approaches to invest in programs addressing the ongoing mental and behavioral health workforce shortage, expanding access to equitable public education and advancing scientific breakthroughs.
The testimony highlighted the negative impact of recent proposed cuts, program disruptions and eliminations over the past year.
“We remain deeply concerned about the administration’s ongoing efforts to withhold funds as well as continued instability within federal agencies, all of which have led to uncertainty regarding agencies’ ability to effectively carry out Congressionally authorized and funded programs,” testified APA Chief Advocacy Officer Katherine B. McGuire, MSc. “Further disruptions threaten progress in psychological science, exacerbate mental and behavioral health workforce shortages, and impair service delivery in communities nationwide.”
Specific funding recommendations can be found in the table below:
| Agency | Program | Request (in millions) |
| NIH | National Institutes of Health | at least $51.3 |
| NIH | Firearm Injury and Mortality Research | $25.0 |
| NIH | Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research | Commensurate with the NIH increase |
| NIH | National Institutes of Mental Health* | Commensurate with the NIH increase |
| AHRQ | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | $500.0 |
| HRSA | Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program | $115.0 |
| HRSA | Graduate Psychology Education* | $30.0 |
| SAMHSA | Mental Health Services Block Grant | $1,053.5 |
| SAMHSA | Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant | $2,210.0 |
| SAMHSA | State Opioid Response Grant | $1,750.0 |
| SAMHSA | Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Grant Program | $45.81 |
| SAMHSA | Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program* | $12.5 |
| SAMHSA | 988 and Behavioral Health Crisis Services | $561.6 |
| SAMHSA | Minority AIDS Initiative | $5.0 |
| SAMHSA | Minority Fellowship Program | $25.0 |
| SAMHSA | Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration | $55.9 plus $3.9 for technical assistance |
| CDC | Office of Rural Health | $10.0 |
| ACF | Child Care and Development Block Grant | $9,000.0 |
| ACF | Head Start | $13,100.0 |
| ACL | University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities | $45.0 |
Agency index: NIH (National Institutes of Health), AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality), HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration), SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), ACF (Administration for Children and Families), and ACL (Administration for Community Living)
*See Appendix for FY 2027 report language requests