Government Relations Office - (PI-GRO) APA PUBLIC INTEREST - Spring 2018 Update - American Psychological Association
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Spring 2018 Update APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) apa.org/pi/gr
ON THE COVER
2017 Advocacy Day: Members of the Leadership Institute for
Women in Psychology took to the Hill in support of the Violence
Against Women Act.
This report, including links to additional information about
our activities, is available online at apa.org/about/gr/pi
750 First St. NE,
Washington, DC 20002
apa.org
2 APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE
About APA’s Public Interest
Government Relations Office
(PI-GRO)
PI-GRO actively shapes federal policy to promote
psychology in the public interest. As part of APA’s Public
Interest Directorate, the office applies psychology to the APA member Kathryn Anderson, MD (left), and Senior
Legislative and APA Federal Affairs Officer Gabe Twose, PhD
fundamental problems of human welfare and promotes (right), meet with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to support the
Violence Against Women Act.
the equitable and just treatment of all segments of society.
This work involves informing Congress, the White House,
and federal agencies about psychological science and
practice and their relevance to federal policy.
PI-GRO regularly works with the APA membership to
ensure the success of its advocacy efforts and to enhance
the ability of the field to advocate on key issues. PI-GRO
relies on member experts to assist in the development and Advocacy Day training
dissemination of educational and advocacy materials that
are shared with Congress and the executive branch.
In addition, PI-GRO provides APA members and student
affiliates with a variety of public policy and advocacy
opportunities, including:
• Federal advocacy trainings and Capitol Hill visits Advocacy Day training
• Congressional Fellowship Program
• APA Federal Action Network
In this report you will find information about the significant
achievements and efforts of PI-GRO. To learn more about
PI-GRO initiatives, please visit PI-GRO’s website at
apa.org/pi/gr and consider joining the Federal Action APA’s Micah Haskell-Hoehl (left) and Amalia Corby, MS
Network at advocate.apa.org. (right), meet with Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) to discuss issues
related to pregnancy in correctional settings
APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE 1
Meet Our Staff
Aaron Bishop, MSSW Gabe Twose, PhD
Associate Executive Director Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer
abishop@apa.org gtwose@apa.org
Amalia Corby-Edwards, MS Ben Vonachen
Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer
acorby-edwards@apa.org bvonachen@apa.org
Serena Dávila, JD Shannon Wood
Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer Legislative Assistant
sdavila@apa.org swood@apa.org
Micah Haskell-Hoehl Merve Balkaya, MA
Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer Intern
mhaskell-hoehl@apa.org mbalkaya@apa.org
Leo Rennie, MPA
Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer
lrennie@apa.org
LIWP participants, left to right: Tiffany Grimes, J. Celeste Walley, Jean, Karen Brakke, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY) (right) and Legislative and Federal Affairs
Andrea Miller, and Annette Kluck. Officer Micah Haskell-Hoehl (left) with Roy Aranda, JD, PsyD, at the press
conference to announce the introduction of the Kalief Browder Reentry
Success Act.
2 APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE
Meet Our Associate Executive Director
After spending 7 years on Capitol Hill and 7 years working
for federal agencies, I feel very privileged to serve in a
new role as the associate executive director of the Public
Interest Government Relations Office (PI-GRO). It is my
pleasure to share with you our March 2018 Update on our
activities over the past 12 months. In this year’s report, we
highlight work being conducted in 13 policy areas to fulfill
APA’s mission of creating, communicating, and applying
psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve Aaron Bishop, MSSW
people’s lives. Associate Executive Director, PI-GRO
abishop@apa.org
Our greatest resources are our APA members and staff,
the breadth and diversity of expertise that each brings to
the table, and the powerful partnerships people share that
drive social change. We are living in tumultuous times, and
now more than ever we need to invest in each other and
collaborate more effectively to improve public policy and
daily living for all.
On behalf of PI-GRO, I want to thank you for your tireless
efforts to apply psychology to the fundamental problems
of human welfare and social justice and to promote the
equitable and just treatment of all segments of society. We
look forward to working with you to improve opportunities
for all those we serve in 2018 and beyond.
APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE 3
Empowering APA Members to Bring Psychology to Policymakers
Taking part in political life is a luxury that many Americans take for granted. Your special
training and expertise in psychology uniquely qualify you to contribute to the development
of federal policies and programs and the reshaping of political attitudes toward psychology.
Here are a few ways you can get involved.
FEDERAL ADVOCACY TRAININGS APA/APF CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
AND CONGRESSIONAL VISITS apa.org/about/gr/fellows
Lead Staff Lead Staff
Ben Vonachen Gabe Twose, PhD
PI-GRO regularly empowers APA members to make policy change through This acclaimed program, offered under the auspices of the American
advocacy trainings and Capitol Hill visits. In 2017, PI-GRO provided Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science and Technology
trainings to APA members and accompanied them to 250 congressional Policy Fellowships, offers APA members the opportunity to spend one
office visits. Trainings typically include the fundamentals of congressional year as a special assistant to a member of Congress or a congressional
processes, an advocacy primer, issue-specific presentations, role plays, committee on Capitol Hill. In addition to the general APA Congressional
and meeting with members of Congress and their staff. These opportu- Fellowship, the American Psychological Foundation–funded Jacquelin
nities focus on key public policy objectives of the association, allowing Goldman Congressional Fellowship supports developmental and clinical
participants to have a direct impact on federal policymaking. In 2017, we child psychologists in gaining expertise in public policy. See the APA
provided advocacy training to more than 350 individuals. Congressional Fellowship webpage to learn more about this unique expe-
rience.
CAPITOL HILL/IN-DISTRICT VISITS
CAPITOL HILL BRIEFINGS
Lead Staff
Ben Vonachen The Dream Act of 2017: A Scientific Perspective on Immigration
Congressional staffers and psychologists came together in November to
PI-GRO hosts federal advocacy trainings to prepare APA members to
discuss their support of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien
share their expertise effectively with policymakers. These trainings include
Minors Act (the DREAM Act). In conjunction with Congressman Raúl
an overview of the federal legislative process, key strategies for informing
Grijalva’s office, the panelists educated approximately 50 individuals—Hill
and influencing policymakers, current legislative issues, and interactive
staff and the public—on the importance of psychological research and
exercises/role playing. Trainings often include an opportunity for members
immigration policy.
to advocate on important issues by visiting with members of Congress
and their staffs on Capitol Hill and in in-district meetings. Escaping Homelessness: Helping Families Reach Their Full Potential
In June, we joined with coalition partners to hold a congressional brief-
ing titled “Escaping Homelessness: Helping Families Reach Their Full
FEDERAL ACTION NETWORK Potential.” The briefing—hosted by Sens. Feinstein (D-CA) and Portman
advocate.apa.org (R-OH) and Reps. Loebsack (D-IA, 2nd) and Stivers (R-OH, 15th)—high-
lighted new research published in the APA Division 37 (Society for Child
Lead Staff
and Family Policy and Practice) book series Advances in Child and Family
Shannon Wood
Policy and Practice.
This grassroots advocacy network allows psychologists and students to
stay up to date on APA’s federal policy initiatives, influence federal poli-
cymakers with a unified voice on issues of importance to psychologists,
and make use of simple tools to connect with and influence members of
Congress. Through the Federal Action Network, users receive periodic
emails alerting them to take action on the most important federal issues
of the day, including criminal justice reform, mental health reform, and
other pressing issues. Because of your continued advocacy, in 2017 APA
members sent over 10,000 letters to lawmakers through the Federal
Action Network.
Interested in participating in a Congressional briefing? Please contact any of our dedicated staff (see p. 2) for your particular area of interest.
4 APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE
PI-GRO Advocacy Issues • Based on APA’s long-standing work in this area, we were asked by Rep.
Joseph Crowley (D-NY) to participate in the introduction of the Kalief
and Portfolio Updates Browder Reentry Success Act. We worked to help amplify APA’s voice
by including Roy Aranda, PsyD, JD, past president of the New York
State Psychological Association, in the press conference announcing
the legislation.
AGING
apa.org/advocacy/health/older-americans.aspx • We continued to co-chair the Consensus Workgroup on Behavioral
Health Issues in Criminal Justice; our activities included recruitment of
Lead Staff new members, organizing and chairing coalition meetings, and orga-
Serena Dávila, JD nizing an upcoming briefing on prison mental health.
Healthy aging, integrated health care, suicide prevention, family caregiver
support, and improving anti-poverty and community-based services
ETHNIC MINORITY AFFAIRS
• At the APA 2017 convention, we gave a policy presentation titled apa.org/advocacy/civil-rights/diversity
“Advocating for Older Adults: Translating Effectively From Science to
Policy.” We addressed the translational continuum—that is, translating Lead Staff
findings in research into medical practice and meaningful health out- Serena Dávila, JD
comes in the context of research and practices with older adults. Improving health and promoting wellness, cultural competence, the
• APA endorsed the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of Minority Fellowship Program, health services for ethnic minority popula-
2017, which President Trump signed into law in October. This law has tions, and immigration
been called the most significant elder justice legislation to pass since • We started and led a Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) coalition
the Elder Justice Act of 2010. APA supports its goal of improving our comprised of organizations that receive MFP funding to advocate for
nation’s response to elder abuse and financial exploitation. maintaining and increasing funding for the program.
• Also in October, we made specific recommendations to the • While lobbying and advocating to support the DREAM Act, we drafted
Department of Health and Human Services’ Strategic Plan Response a letter of support to Congressional leaders on the legislation. APA
on how best to reform, strengthen, and modernize the nation’s wrote two press statements encouraging the president to preserve the
health care system. We focused on how to enhance opportunities for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
professional training in the psychology of aging at the doctoral and
postdoctoral levels to address the growing number of older adults in
need of mental and behavioral health services. We also emphasized HEALTH DISPARITIES
the need to increase early identification and treatment of older adults apa.org/advocacy/health-disparities
with mental health problems through outreach and providing services
in places that older adults frequent. Lead Staff
Leo Rennie, MPA
Reducing health disparities in key health disparity populations, increasing
CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES access to mental and behavioral health services for these populations,
apa.org/advocacy/civil-rights/family and addressing the social determinants of health and federal health equity
Lead Staff efforts
Micah Haskell-Hoehl • In September, we coordinated Dr. Arthur C. Evans’s participation in
Child abuse, access to child care and preschool programs, improving the first Capitol Hill briefing in his role as APA’s chief executive officer.
mental health, juvenile justice, and violence prevention Sponsored by the bipartisan Congressional Men’s Health Caucus and
the Men’s Health Network, the briefing sought to educate policymak-
• Along with members of the Children’s Budget Coalition, we urged ers about the importance of the Children’s Health Insurance Program
members of Congress to adequately fund the full range of child- and (CHIP) in providing health coverage to nearly 9 million children in
family-serving federal programs. families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but unable to
• We supported legislation for increased child care support for working afford private insurance. Dr. Evans focused his remarks on childhood
families, trauma-informed care for children and families, the needs of behavioral health needs, with special attention to the specific concerns
homeless and foster youth in higher education success, and reauthori- of boys and young men of color, and he drew upon insights from his
zation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. experiences as mental health commissioner in Philadelphia.
• In 2017, GRO staff participated in two conferences sponsored by APA’s
Health Disparities Office. Leo Rennie presented on the federal public
CRIMINAL JUSTICE policy landscape at APA’s “Vulnerable Boys and Men: Advancing
apa.org/advocacy/criminal-justice Programs and Policies in Uncertain Times” conference. The presen-
Lead Staff tation described current challenges and opportunities involved in
Micah Haskell-Hoehl improving outcomes for males across the lifespan in terms of physical
and mental health care, early childhood education, and the criminal
Priority populations, disparities, human and civil rights, diversion from justice sphere. We also organized a public policy panel for the “Stress
incarceration, and mental and behavioral health
APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE 5
and Health Disparities: Building Capacity to Understand, Prevent • We have continued advocacy against the ADA Education and Reform
and Treat Stress in Underserved Populations” conference. Speakers’ Act legislation, which would significantly weaken the Americans with
topics included federally funded stress and disparities research, evi- Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) by proposing a 180-day waiting period
dence-based interventions, and APA’s revised multicultural guidelines. before an individual with a disability could enforce his or her rights
under the ADA to gain access to businesses, social services, and
educational institutions. Conversely, we also partnered with the AARP
HIV/AIDS and other health advocacy organizations as a member of the Medical
apa.org/advocacy/health-disparities/hiv-prevention-treatment.aspx Expense Deduction Coalition to urge Congress to protect the medical
expense deduction in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The final bill
Lead Staff
included a lowered 7.5% threshold based on income for individuals to
Leo Rennie, MPA
claim the medical expense deduction for the next 2 years.
Promoting integration of mental and behavioral health in HIV prevention,
• Together with APA’s Office on Disabilities, we organized and led a
treatment, and research and advocating for sustained federal investments
policy luncheon with various stakeholders in the disability community
in domestic and global HIV/AIDS efforts
for the Association for Successful Parenting in Washington, DC. The
• Throughout 2017, in partnership with leading national organizations luncheon aimed to identify resources and strategies to effectively
and coalitions, we urged Congress to maintain the federal investment advocate for the social justice rights and family autonomy of parents
in domestic HIV prevention, treatment, and research. Federal HIV with disabilities.
funding remained stable, as key agencies’ budgets, such as the those
of the CDC and SAMHSA, remained stable in FY 2017. Advocacy to
avert proposed cuts in FY 2018 continues. SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER DIVERSITY
apa.org/advocacy/civil-rights/sexual-diversity
• We supported the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act, a bill to promote
modernization of outdated state and local HIV criminalization laws, Lead Staff
and worked to raise awareness about this issue among APA constitu- Leo Rennie, MPA
encies and the public. Gabe Twose, PhD
Stigma, discrimination and prejudice, hate crimes, health disparities,
health data collection and research, violence, bullying prevention, and
CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS
workplace rights
apa.org/advocacy
• Throughout 2017, we submitted regulatory comments to executive
Lead Staff
branch agencies urging the administration to retain anti-discrimination
Gabe Twose, PhD
protections for and collect data on sexual and gender minorities. For
International violence, global human rights accountability, domestic example, we urged the maintenance of nondiscrimination provisions
issues such as solitary confinement, and supporting ratification of UN in the Affordable Care Act and encouraged the administration to
Conventions maintain protections for transgender people, including members of
the armed forces. We also urged HHS to retain sexual orientation and
• In June, we submitted a letter of support for the Elie Wiesel Genocide
gender identity (SOGI) questions in national data collection efforts and
and Atrocities Prevention Act, which would enhance the U.S. capacity
to start collection of SOGI information in the National Violent Death
to prevent and mitigate mass atrocities as both a national security
Report System.
interest and a core moral responsibility. We particularly praised a pro-
vision mandating the training of foreign service officers to ensure they • We also sent a letter of support of the LGBT Inclusion Act, which
have the skills to recognize and prevent genocide, and emphasized the would require uniform collection of SOGI data in federal surveys,
social science research on early warning signs. including the decennial census.
• In December, we sent a letter to Secretary of State Tillerson thanking • In collaboration with Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual
him for recent responses to anti-Rohingya violence in Myanmar. The Orientation and Gender Diversity), we hosted a webinar to educate
letter also calls for a safe space for humanitarian groups to provide participants about the current federal policy landscape and its impact
psychological and other services to Rohingya refugees and for the on the LGBTQ community. Our staff also consulted with the division’s
United States to fund programs that encourage reconciliation after executive board during its January 2018 mid-winter meeting on
violence. planned federal and state advocacy efforts in 2018.
DISABILITIES PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE
apa.org/advocacy/civil-rights/disability apa.org/advocacy/health
Lead Staff Lead Staff
Ben Vonachen Amalia Corby, MS
Ben Vonachen
Access to health care, civil rights, accessibility, employment protections,
stigma, international issues, parents with disabilities, caregiving, and Health care reform policy, increasing access to mental and behavioral
elementary and secondary education health services, reducing stigma, and mental health parity
6 APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE• Throughout 2017, APA participated in a nationwide advocacy effort Prevention, and Policy and discussed how individuals with mental illness
to successfully defeat several attempts in the U.S. Congress to repeal are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence.
and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats invited psychologist
A huge credit goes to the numerous APA members who took action
Susan Sorenson, PhD, to discuss gun violence as a public health issue.
through APA’s Federal Action Network, resulting in well over 10,000
Committee members heard from public health experts on approaches
direct emails, phone calls, and social media outreach to members of
to prevent gun violence and the role federally funded research must
Congress. APA advocated that any health care reform legislation to
play in America’s response to the gun violence epidemic. Panelists
repeal and replace the ACA should increase the number of Americans
included public health experts in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and
with coverage for physical and behavioral health and substance use
domestic violence. Sorenson’s remarks focused on the prevalence
disorder services, maintain reproductive health coverage, stabilize the
of firearm suicides and the use of firearms as a means of control in
insurance market, and provide additional consumer protections to our
domestic violence.
nation’s most vulnerable populations.
• We also established and coordinated a cross-directorate APA working
group focused on improving APA’s advocacy regarding research, WOMEN’S ISSUES
service, supports, and collaboration with SAMHSA. In particular, the apa.org/advocacy/civil-rights/women
group planned a February 2018 meeting at APA’s headquarters in
Lead Staff
Washington, DC, between APA CEO Arthur Evans, PhD, and Elinore F.
Amalia Corby, MS
McCance-Katz, MD, PhD, the assistant secretary for mental health and
substance use, as well as SAMHSA leadership. Postpartum depression, reproductive health, prevention of violence and
abuse, and equality in employment and education
• We held an advocacy training and Capitol Hill day for participants at
POVERTY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology. Forty psychologists
apa.org/advocacy/socioeconomic-status
provided congressional offices with information on programs under the
Lead Staff Violence Against Women Act that target underserved populations and
Gabe Twose, PhD requested full funding for those programs. Participants discussed how
the risk of domestic violence and sexual violence is higher for women
Access to health care, education, safe and affordable housing, adequate
of color, women with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, older
wages, safety net programs, and employment laws
adults, and other marginalized populations. The enthusiastic responses
• In June, we joined with coalition partners to hold a congressional from congressional staff underscored the importance of psychologists
briefing, “Escaping Homelessness: Helping Families Reach Their coming to the table to help policymakers understand the unique needs
Full Potential.” The briefing—hosted by Sens. Feinstein (D-CA) and of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Portman (R-OH) and Reps. Loebsack (D-IA, 2nd) and Stivers (R-OH,
• Several APA members participated in the congressional briefing
15th)—highlighted new research published in APA’s Div. 37 (Society
“Preventing Human Trafficking: Research in How to Stop Trafficking
for Child and Family Policy and Practice) book series Advances in Child
Before It Starts,” sponsored by the Congressional Victim’s Rights
and Family Policy and Practice.
Caucus and organized by the National Prevention Science Coalition.
• In August, we sent a letter of support for the Raise the Wage Act, Psychologists Joan Reid, PhD, Jill McLeigh, PhD, and Jennifer Woolard,
which would increase the earnings of our nation’s lowest wage PhD, discussed risk and protective factors for trafficking at the com-
workers, thereby improving the well-being of low-income families. The munity, family, and individual levels. Audrey Morrissey, director of My
letter notes that higher wages help individuals rise out of poverty both Life My Choice, provided an engaging testimonial on her experience
by increasing their access to food, health care, and education and by as a survivor of human trafficking and her current work to protect and
removing the cognitive burdens associated with scarcity of resources. empower at-risk youth.
TRAUMA, VIOLENCE, AND ABUSE
apa.org/advocacy/interpersonal-violence
Lead Staff
Amalia Corby, MS
Victim support, expanding the research base on violence prevention,
strengthening the capacity of mental health systems to respond to
violence and abuse, and supporting related federal funding
• APA Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer Amalia Corby, MS,
participated in a panel discussion on Capitol Hill. The panel, sponsored
by members of both the U.S. House and Senate, brought together
advocates from the mental health community and experts in violence
prevention research to discuss messaging about gun violence in a way
that does not stigmatize individuals with mental illness. Ms. Corby
presented information from the APA report Gun Violence: Prediction,
APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE 7PI-GRO IMPACT 2017
350+ Participants
Currently in Advocacy Trainings
250+ Meetings
During Congressional Visits
90+ Supporting
Policy Documents
Created
10,000+ Letters to Congress
Generated Through the Federal Action Network
8 APA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATEAPA PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) SPRING 2018 UPDATE 9
CONNECT WITH US Visit APA’s Psychology Benefits Society blog PUBLIC INTEREST Government Relations Office 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4242 apa.org/pi/gr 202-336-6166
You can also read
