[DIV28SUPER] Fwd: [DIVOFFICERS] Congress Supports Increasing Investment in Graduate Psychology Education

 

Dear APA Colleagues:

 

We wanted to share two victories for psychology with you today as the President is due to sign the $1.012 trillion Omnibus Appropriations bill to resolve the Fiscal Year 2014 appropriations that will keep the federal government operating through September 30^th. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our grassroots advocates, Congressional support for Graduate Psychology Education(GPE) has never been higher. Congress approved more than $7 million in the mental and behavioral health program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which last year was funded at $2.3 million after being reduced through across the board sequestration cuts. The legislation also transfers another social work training program under that budget line,  so not all of those funds will support GPE, but, appropriations staff have indicated this is intended as an increase for GPE.

 

In addition to gains in the GPE program, House and Senate appropriators rejected the Obama Administration's narrow focus of its $35 million one-year investment in the joint Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and HRSA Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Grant Program. Rather than focusing those investments solely on master's level providers as the Administration had proposed, Congress recognized the importance of doctoral level psychology and included APA requested language directing SAMHSA and HRSA  to include psychology doctoral interns in the program and also directed the agencies, "to ensure that the funding opportunities are distributed relatively equally amongst the aforementioned health professionals."

 

We will continue to monitor the implementation of these two programs and share information with you when funding opportunities are announced.  Thank you for your continued support of our education advocacy agenda.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Cynthia D. Belar, PhD, ABPP
Executive Director, Education Directorate

 

Karen Studwell, JD
Associate Executive Director, Education Government Relations Office

 

 

 

Karen Studwell, JD  Associate Executive Director Education Government Relations Office Education Directorate American Psychological Association 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242 Tel: 202.336.5585 |  Fax: 202.336.6063 email: kstudwell@apa.org | www.apa.org

 

 

 

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