Action Center

Advancing Health Equity and Access to Psychological Services

Speakers and Panelists

Scott Barstow, MS is a Senior Director of Congressional and Federal Relations for the American Psychological Association, and has helped lead the organization’s advocacy work in addressing the drug overdose epidemic. Scott began working on federal mental health policy as a staff member for U.S. Representative Mike Kopetski (OR), spearheading the congressman’s efforts to establish the House Working Group on Mental Illness and Health Issues, and subsequently worked for the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association and the American Counseling Association. Contact Scott Barstow

Sharon Berry, PhD, ABPP is an inaugural member of the Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC). She is committed to continuing these advocacy responsibilities as we fine tune support for APA’s dedication to advocacy on behalf of psychologists and our profession. She served as a member of the Presidential Workgroup on APA Expanded Advocacy Model, APA Education (Grass Roots) Advocacy Coordinator (since 2003), Psychology PAC Advisory Board. Berry enjoyed two terms on the APPIC Board of Directors, including two years as chair, and has also served in governance as a two-term member and chair of the board of educational affairs, as well as division leadership with both Divisions 54 (President) and 12. In addition, she was the recipient of the first Education Advocacy Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and first Political Advocacy Champion Award in 2015. She was successful in building collaboration between the education and practice communities that lead to improved sustainability of accredited internships by insuring all states allow billing by doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. She is currently director of training at Children’s Minnesota and ACC chair. Berry earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Florida State University following internship at the Medical College of GA/VA Consortium. Contact Sharon Berry

Rosie Phillips Davis, PhD, ABPP is a professor of counseling psychology at the University of Memphis and past vice president for student affairs. She was the 2019 president of the American Psychological Association, and previously served on APA’s Finance Committee and Board of Directors, the American Psychological Foundation Board, the Council of Representatives for Divisions 1 and 17, and is a past President of the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17). She is a co-founder of the National Multicultural Conference and Summit. Davis has served on the editorial boards of multiple journals, including the Journal of Career Assessment, and has authored numerous articles, book chapters and two books. Her research and advocacy projects address poverty, the power of inclusion, multicultural vocational psychology, and ethics. One of her APA Presidential initiatives was Bringing Psychologists to the Fight Against Deep Poverty. Davis has received numerous awards including the Janet E. Helms Award for Mentoring and Scholarship, The Society of Counseling Psychology Leona Tyler Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Distinguished Professional Contributions to Institutional Practice for APA Award, two APA Presidential Citations, and was named an Elder by the National Multicultural Conference and Summit. Davis received her PhD from The Ohio State University and holds a Diplomate in Counseling Psychology. Contact Rosie Phillips Davis

Christine Delaney, MBA, as the social media strategy manager at APA, develops and manages the organization’s social media communication strategy to help elevate the work of APA and its members and show the importance and impact of psychological science. Christine holds bachelor’s degrees in marketing and psychology and an MBA from Penn State University. She has spent more than 10 years developing digital marketing strategies for companies in a variety of industries, including higher education, retail, and real estate. Contact Christine Delaney

Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. Evans holds a doctorate in clinical/community psychology from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in experimental psychology from Florida Atlantic University, where he also completed his undergraduate work. Before joining APA in March 2017, Evans spent 12 years as commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. Evans has been honored nationally and internationally for his work. He was recognized as an “Advocate for Action” by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, recipient of the American Medical Association's top government service award in health care, the Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service, the Visionary Leadership Award from the National Council of Behavioral Health, and was inducted into the Florida Atlantic University Alumni Hall of Fame.

Corbin Evans, JD serves as a Senior Director of Congressional and Federal Relations at the American Psychological Association. He previously served as the Principal Director of Strategic Programs and Policy at the National Defense Industry Association (NDIA). Prior to joining NDIA, Corbin served at the Department of Homeland Security and as the Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He received a Juris Doctor at George Washington University Law School and holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Missouri. Corbin is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. Contact Corbin Evans

Isa Glass is a student at Arizona State University graduating next spring with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Social Justice and Human Rights as she interns with the APA Advocacy Office this semester. Her research and advocacy interests include psychosocial support programs and human rights, as well as international humanitarian responses to trauma & recovery within displaced peoples and minority populations. Contact Isa Glass

Christopher Kush, as CEO of Soapbox Consulting, has trained hundreds of thousands of citizens from all over the United States to effectively influence Congress, state, and local governments. He has helped design sophisticated key-contact networks, Lobby Days, and grassroots training programs for many national associations including the American Cancer Society, Human Rights Campaign, Easter Seals, Goodwill International, United Way Worldwide, and the American Wind Energy Association. Mr. Kush is the author of three books on grassroots organizing including Grassroots Games (ASAE, 2002) and, most recently, The One-Hour Activist (Wiley, 2004). He has appeared on National Public Radio, ABC and Fox-news affiliates, CSPAN’s “Book TV,” and in U.S. News and World Report, The Los Angeles Times, and on the Sirius Satellite Radio Network. Contact Christopher Kush

Katherine McGuire, MS is the American Psychological Association’s first Chief Advocacy Officer. With more than 25 years of senior-level policy experience in Congress, the executive branch and the private sector, McGuire was most recently assistant secretary for congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor. Previously, Katherine served for five years as chief of staff to Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), advising on science and technology issues. Before that, she spent five years as vice president for government affairs at the Business Software Alliance, a trade group comprising the world’s leading software companies, including Apple and Microsoft. She served almost 18 years in the U.S. Senate where she held numerous senior leadership roles, including Republican staff director of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. She also previously served as staff director for two subcommittees of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and as legislative director for Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). Katherine McGuire holds a BS and an MS from the University of Wyoming. She also received a certificate in executive leadership from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Contact Katherine McGuire

Megan A. Mooney, PhD (she/her/hers) is a licensed psychologist in private practice who specializes in working with children and families. Dr. Mooney’s undergraduate degree is from Vanderbilt University and her doctorate degree is from the University of Arkansas. She completed her internship in professional psychology with the Baylor College of Medicine Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Mooney was the 2020 President for the Texas Psychological Association and is also a member of the Houston Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. She is a member of the clinical faculty with Baylor College of Medicine and adjunct faculty with the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston. Dr. Mooney is an affiliate member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Dr. Mooney has focused on serving traumatized children and families for 18 years and she has a specialty interest in working with LGBTQ+ youth who are disproportionately impacted by a variety of traumatic experiences. She has presented locally and nationally about trauma, treatments for trauma in children and families, and ways to prevent and treat trauma in LGBTQ+ youth. Dr. Mooney is a co-founder of a non-profit that focuses on education and advocacy in support of gender expansive children and their families. Contact Megan Mooney

Alan Nessman, JD is Senior Special Counsel in Legal & State Advocacy (LSA) for APA Practice. He is APA’s lead attorney on mental health parity and has worked on parity implementation and advocacy since the federal parity law went into effect in 2008. More broadly, he has been APA’s primary legal expert on insurance/managed care issues for 22 years. His other areas of expertise include: HIPAA, patient privacy & information blocking; the No Surprises Act; and other emerging legal issues facing psychologists and their patients. Nessman joined LSA in 2000 after 15 years as a law firm litigator, with a primary focus on insurance cases. He received his JD from George Washington University and his BA from the University of Chicago. Contact Alan Nessman

Doris Parfaite-Claude, MPP is the Director of Grassroots Engagement with APA’s Advocacy Office, where she is charged with growing and strengthening APA’s grassroots network. She joined APA in July 2021. Prior to that, she served as Federal Advocacy and Research Manager at the ANCOR, working on disability issues. Before that, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for the NALEO Educational Fund and a Polling Analyst for Lincoln Park Strategies. Doris has a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in Politics from Brandeis University. Contact Doris Parfaite-Claude

Kenneth Polishchuk, MA, MPP is the American Psychological Association’s Senior Director for Congressional and Federal Relations covering the education portfolio. He leads APA’s advocacy efforts on federal policies that apply principles of psychological science to PreK-12 education, provide affordable pathways to graduate school—including through student loan forgiveness programs—and support the overall mental and emotional well-being of students across the education spectrum. Prior to joining APA in September 2019, he spent five years in government affairs at the Council of Graduate Schools. He has master’s degrees in Public Policy and American Politics. Contact Kenneth Polishchuk

Antonio E. Puente, PhD is a professor of psychology, specializing in Brain and Behavior, Clinical Neuropsychology, and History of Psychology, at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). He also maintains a private practice in clinical neuropsychology, and is the founder (2002) and co-director of mental health services at the Cape Fear Clinic, a bilingual multi-disciplinary health center serving the indigent. Puente is founding director of UNCW’s Centro Hispano, and his research focuses on the interface between culture and neuropsychology. Puente founded and edited the journals Neuropsychology Review and Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice as well as a neuropsychology book series. He has published 10 books, 93 chapters, and 123 scientific articles in several languages. He received his PhD from the University of Georgia. For 15 years, he served as APA’s advisor to the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology. Puente served as president of the NC Psychological Association, NC Psychological Foundation, the Hispanic Neuropsychological Association, National Academy of Neuropsychology, Society for Clinical Neuropsychology (Division 40 of APA), and Society for Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology (Division 6 of APA), as well as 2017 President of the American Psychological Association. Contact Antonio Puente

Angela Sharpe, MG is a Senior Director, Congressional and Federal Relations in Scientific Affairs Advocacy, where she advocates for psychological and behavioral science before Congress and federal agencies on behalf of the American Psychological Association (APA). Prior to joining the APA in 2018, Angela spent more than two decades at the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), including serving as its Deputy Director. She co-chaired two COSSA-led coalitions (Coalition to Promote Research and the Friends of Behavior and Social Sciences Research), led the Collaborative for Enhancing Diversity in Science, and served on the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research’s steering committee. She spent seven years on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Carrie P. Meek (D-FL) and the late Rep. R. Lawrence Coughlin (R-PA). Before working on Capitol Hill, Angela worked for the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH). She earned her master’s in government from The Johns Hopkins University. Her BS in industrial relations and BS in psychology are from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Contact Angela Sharpe

Karen Studwell, JD is the Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer for Strategy and Operations at the American Psychological Association. She designs and leads designated advocacy campaigns to increase the impact of APA’s advocacy to advance the discipline and practice of psychology and increase the application of psychological science across both the public and private sector. She leads APA’s advocacy efforts to expand federal funding for graduate psychology education and training programs and inform elementary, secondary, and higher education policy. Karen previously worked in the APA Science Directorate Government Relations Office advocating for psychological research funding at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. Karen received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ohio University and her law degree from Seattle University. Contact Karen Studwell

Joey White, MA is a second-year doctoral student in counseling psychology at the University of Memphis. His passion for advocacy began with his experience as a student-athlete and mentoring youth athletes in Denver, Colorado. Recently, he has continued his work in clinical settings through practicum rotations at Church Health, a community health clinic located in Memphis, and is currently serving students at the Rhodes College Counseling Center. Joey’s research interests have centered on student-athlete well-being, positive psychology, and anti-racism. Last fall, Joey engaged in advocacy work on behalf of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, lobbying state lawmakers to release unused state funds to support women and their families in need. Joey also serves as the social media chair for the diversity committee in the Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Research department at the University of Memphis. Joey earned his master’s degree in sport and performance psychology from the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. Contact Joey White

Frank C. Worrell, PhD is the 2022 President of the American Psychological Association. He is also a professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he serves as faculty director of the school psychology program, the Academic Talent Development Program, and the California College Preparatory Academy. He is a certified school psychologist as well as a licensed psychologist. In addition to his position at UC Berkeley, Worrell is an affiliate professor in the social and personality area in the department of psychology. His areas of expertise include at-risk youth, cultural identities, scale development and validation, talent development/gifted education, teacher effectiveness, time perspective, and the translation of psychological research findings into school-based practice.

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