APA Services submitted testimony (PDF, 134KB)opens in new window to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The testimony highlighted the need for increased funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the need to provide critical access to essential mental and behavioral health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). The testimony emphasized that AI/AN communities often lack access to adequate health care, including behavioral health, and experience higher suicide rates than other races.
In the testimony, APA’s Chief Advocacy Officer Katherine B. McGuire, MSc, thanked the subcommittee for their past leadership in making bipartisan investments in behavioral health services and psychological science. “Support for behavioral health services is a crucial investment in addressing chronic disease, population health, wellness, and resilience,” said McGuire. “We must reverse the accumulation of decades of neglect, stigma, and unequal treatment of behavioral healthcare that has led our nation into a health crisis, especially for Native American communities.”
The association also recommended increased funding for alcohol and substance use programs within IHS to address high rates of alcohol and substance use for this population. In her testimony, McGuire emphasized that increased funding for IHS is necessary because the agency is uniquely positioned to ensure culturally sensitive treatment plans are implemented for AI/AN communities.
Finally, APA Services recommended an increase in funding for the Indian Health Professions Account and emphasized the importance of developing psychologists who are aware of the cultural sensitivities of this community and can address the community’s needs. This account includes the American Indians Into Psychology Program (INPSYC), which aims to increase the number of AI/AN with doctoral degrees in psychology and increase the cross-cultural understanding of AI/AN psychology.
For more information, contact Serena Dávila.