On April 10, 2024, APA’s Deputy CEO Jim Diaz-Granados, PhD, spoke at a press conferenceopens in new window for the introduction of the access in Mental Health Act (H.R. 7924)opens in new window, which aims to expand and diversify the mental health workforce. To do so, the bill—introduced by Representative Jamaal Bowman (D–New York) and drafted in partnership with APA Services—would provide funding for graduate programs in mental health fields at all types of minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. In addition, the bill would offer funds to students in these programs to help cover a portion of their cost of attendance.
“We know that a health care workforce that reflects the populations it serves improves patients’ access to care, health outcomes, and the likelihood they will receive the preventative care they need to stay healthy,” said Diaz-Granados. “Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions are among the bedrocks of our higher education system, yet they have been historically underfunded. With the resources that the ACCESS in Mental Health Act will provide, these institutions can also be education and training hubs for psychologists and other mental health providers, thereby helping to diversify the mental health care workforce.”
Later during a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, Representative Bowman thanked APA Servicesopens in new window for its support and partnership in moving the legislation forward.
For more information, contact Kenneth Polishchuk.