On June 27, 2024, APA Services staff conducted a training and discussion session for 13 Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) fellows participating in the Psychology Summer Institute. Following the training, the fellows put their skills into action and met with five congressional offices to advocate for increased funding for the program. The offices they met with included Representatives Nanette Barragán (D–California), Jenniffer González-Colón (R–Puerto Rico), Dwight Evans (D–Pennsylvania), Grace Napolitano (D–California), and Senator Bob Casey (D–Pennsylvania).
The advocacy session was part of a weeklong program for the fellows (PDF, 257KB)opens in new window, who represented a broad range of states and territories including New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Hawaii, California, Texas, Puerto Rico, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The program included a wide variety of education for the fellows including grant writing, learning about the workings of federal agencies, honing presentation and writing skills, and working with their mentors. The training was led by Janice Haskins, PhD, head of APA’s Leadership Development Program, and Kyra Kissam, PhD, APA’s director of behavioral sciences in APA’s MFP office. The advocacy training included an overview about how the legislative, executive, and judicial branches work and advice on how to advocate on Capitol Hill.
During their Hill meetings, the fellows shared stories about how the program is helping them afford their education and providing them with valuable experience. Several fellows discussed being first-generation college students now working toward their doctoral degrees, and how the program has given them the opportunity to pursue higher education.
For many years, APA Services has prioritized advocating for increased funding for MFP. The program aims to increase the number of mental health professionals of color and to increase access to mental health services in underserved areas. It funds the training, career development, and mentoring of mental and behavioral health professionals to work with people of color. MFP is essential to ensuring there are culturally competent behavioral health professionals, as they are key to reducing barriers to accessing care and improving health care outcomes for underserved communities.
To learn more about the program or apply for a fellowship, visit the Minority Fellowship Programopens in new window webpage.
For more information, contact Serena Dávila.
