The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has pledged $27.5 million worth of funding opportunities to research programs aimed at improving women’s behavioral health across the United States. This investment represents important progress in the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Researchopens in new window, led by APA member Carolyn Mazure, PhD, which has committed to prioritizing investments in women’s health research, integrating women’s health across the federal research portfolio, and galvanizing new research on women’s health.
In December 2023, APA Services staff met with Mazure and representatives of the White House Gender Policy Council to provide recommendations on integrating women’s behavioral health in the White House Initiative. In January 2024, APA Services and Division 38 (Society for Health Psychologyopens in new window) submitted written feedback (PDF, 133KB)opens in new window to the White House Initiative, and has since met to discuss recommendations with Vivian Ota Wang, PhD, psychologist and deputy director of the Office of Women’s Health Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). APA has also submitted recommendations to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for their assessment on women’s health research at NIH, and the HHS National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care.
The funding opportunities will expand access to women’s behavioral health services and enhance the capacity of providers to identify and address mental health conditions, substance use, and gender-based violence. Available funding opportunities include:
- Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Programopens in new window: This $15 million program will improve access to timely, culturally relevant, evidence-based maternal mental health and substance use treatment. Specifically, the program will strengthen community referral pathways and provide seamless transitions in care for pregnant women who are at risk for or have a behavioral health condition during the perinatal and postpartum periods.
- Women’s Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Centeropens in new window: This $12.5 million program will enhance the capacity of women’s behavioral health providers, general health care providers, and others involved in the holistic care of women to address the diverse needs of women with or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions.
APA Services will continue to work with the White House, federal agencies, Congress, and stakeholders to advocate for psychological science funding in women’s health research and will continue to share relevant information about calls for research applications with APA members.
For more information, contact Krysta Jones.