On June 26, fourteen APA Psychology Summer Institute fellows met with their members of Congress to advocate on behalf of the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) (PDF, 452KB)opens in new window. The fellows included advanced doctoral students and early-career psychologists, drawn from underrepresented communities across 10 states.
During their meetings, the fellows discussed with congressional staff how MFP plays a key role in psychology workforce development. MFP provides funding for training, career development, and mentoring for mental and behavioral health professionals to work in underserved communities with limited access to services. The fellows also emphasized that by increasing the number of psychologists trained to work with underserved communities, MFP increases access to mental and behavioral health services for those who need them most.
They urged their members of congress to boost MFP’s annual appropriation from its current $19.4 million to $25 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, a figure APA Services has championed to strengthen the pipeline of culturally responsive providers nationwide. The meetings targeted members of the House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations subcommittees and legislators representing the fellows’ home states and districts.
This Hill Day comes at a critical time as Congress is in the process of drafting FY 2026 appropriations. With potential cuts to funding and elimination of programs key to psychology under consideration, the fellows’ advocacy was both timely and crucial, especially in light of the stories they've shared about lack of access to mental health services in many of their communities. APA Services will maintain its collaboration with bipartisan allies to secure increased funding as negotiations for FY 2026 progress.
For more information, contact Raegina Likewise, senior manager of congressional and federal relations.