Federal Funding Matters: Calling on Congress to Fund Programs Key to Psychology and Mental Health

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The federal funding process (appropriations) is a year-long process. This year it has been highly contentious, with federal shutdowns only narrowly avoided. This stems from disagreements in Congress over how much the government should be spending, and Congress is reviewing several proposals that include severe funding cuts.  Your advocacy in this summit is the culmination of a multi-month effort to oppose such cuts. For this summit, we are instead encouraging Congress to build upon the investments it has made in recent years and continue robust funding for psychology and mental health programs and research.

Specific programs key to psychology:

Psychology Workforce Development Programs (Factsheet)

• Background
  • The U.S. continues to face a serious nationwide shortage of mental health care providers, including psychologists, with every state having documented mental health professional shortage areas. By 2030, these shortages are projected to worsen significantly, with rural communities facing major challenges in recruiting licensed professionals. These shortages are especially pronounced for minority populations as the psychology workforce is comprised of only 19% racial and ethnic minority providers. For individuals in racial and ethnic minorities who seek care, barriers include a lack of bilingual providers and a lack of culturally competent care.
  • Increased investments to support psychology trainees are needed to expand and diversify the psychology workforce. 
• Graduate Psychology Education Program (GPE)
  • The nation’s primary federal program dedicated to the interprofessional education and training of doctoral-level psychologists.
  • Provides grants to accredited doctoral, internship and postdoctoral training programs to support training of doctoral students and expand access to mental and behavioral health services for vulnerable and underserved populations in rural and urban communities.
  • View a list of current GPE grantees here.
• Minority Fellowship Program (MFP)
  • Supports training, mentoring, and career development for psychology master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral graduate students of color and students who demonstrate a commitment to improving mental and behavioral health outcomes for people of color.

School and Campus-Based Mental Health Programs (Factsheet)

• Background
  • The youth mental health crisis has deepened in the last ten years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 4 million children reporting experiencing depression in the last year.
  • Schools are often on the frontlines of the youth mental health crisis, as over 70% of children receive their first services in a school-based setting. Yet, over two thirds of public schools reported an increase in demand for public health services in 2022 and most states continue to face shortages of school-based providers.
  • Additionally, college students are reporting mental health challenges at a growing and alarming rate, with nearly half showing signs of depression and over two thirds showing signs of anxiety.
  • More funding is needed to enable K-12 schools and colleges to meet the increasing mental health needs of their students. 
• Mental Health Service Professionals (MHSP) Demonstration Grant Program
  • Provides grants to grow and diversify the workforce of mental health service providers in high-need schools by supporting the graduate education and training of school-based mental health service providers through partnerships between institutions of higher education and local education agencies.
  • View a list of current MHSP grantees here.
• School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program 
  • Provides grants to state and local education agencies that fund the hiring and retention of school counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
  • View a list of current School Based Mental Health Services Grant Program grantees here.
• Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program 
  • The only federal program solely dedicated to comprehensively addressing suicide prevention and mental health at institutions of higher education.
  • Provides funding to expand mental health services for students, including those at risk of suicide and suicide attempts and who are experiencing substance use disorders and other mental health concerns.
  • View a list of current GLS grantees here.

Psychological, Behavioral, and Mental Health Research Programs (Factsheet)

• Background
  • Psychological, behavioral, and mental health research is critical to the advancement of psychological science, providing improved treatments for complex mental health challenges, responding to mental health and substance use crises, and advancing health equity.
  • Increased funding for agencies that support psychological research will allow them to continue making the critical scientific breakthroughs necessary to address both the mental health needs of our communities and allow psychological science to inform how we work, live, and interact with one another.
• National Institutes of Health
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world’s premier public funder of medical research. Within NIH, several institutes and offices are especially critical to science and research in the psychological and behavioral fields. This includes the National Institute of Mental Health, which aims to treat mental illnesses through basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, and the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, which coordinates and promotes basic, clinical, and translational research in the behavioral and social sciences.
• National Science Foundation 
  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports research and education in non-medical fields of science and engineering.
  • Increased funding will support critical psychological research within the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the federal funding for basic social and behavioral science research, and the Computer Science Information Systems Engineering Directorate, as human behavior plays a key role in designing and implementing new technologies, including artificial intelligence.
  • NSF has also developed crucial funding mechanisms for climate and clean energy-related research, with an increasing focus on the role of behavioral and mental health research in efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Suicide Prevention Programs (Factsheet)

• Background
  • There were 48,183 deaths by suicide in 2021. Suicide rates are higher than average among some racial and ethnic minority populations, adolescent girls, veterans, rural communities, and the LGBTQ+ community. The suicide rate for veterans is twice that of non-Veteran adults.
  • Increased funding for suicide prevention and crisis response is vital if we are to stem the tide of this national epidemic. 
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 
  • Launched in 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides a three-digit hotline for individuals experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis. It provides nationalized services, including 215 crisis call centers, a national call backup network, chat and text networks, the Spanish subnetwork, and specialized services for higher-risk populations.
• Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Grants
  • The Mobile Mental Health Crisis Response Grants support critical in-person responses to individuals in crisis when more assistance is needed than can be provided via the 988 Crisis Call Center. They help communities create mobile crisis response teams that divert people in crisis from law enforcement and justice system involvement to behavioral health response teams.
• CDC’s Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program
  • The CDC’s Comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program funds 24 programs to implement and evaluate a comprehensive public health approach to suicide prevention, with a special focus on populations that are disproportionately affected by suicide.
• Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Programs 
  • VA Suicide Prevention Programs include suicide prevention and treatment initiatives, suicide outreach, and the Veteran Crisis Line.

Video Testimonials

View these video testimonials to learn more about why sustained federal funding is crucial for each of the following psychology programs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prepare for the Summit?

All information for the Summit, including our legislative requests, fact sheets, agenda, and participant list can be found on this Summit action center. If you are not seeing the information you are looking for, please check back later - this page will be updated as we receive more information. 

If you are new to advocacy or would like a refresher, please watch APA’s Federal Advocacy for Psychology video.

Do I have to schedule my Hill visits for December 4?

No. Our partner, Soapbox Consulting, is handling all scheduling for legislative hill visits for December 4.

When will I get by schedule from Soapbox?

All Hill Day schedules will be emailed to you by Soapbox at the latest 12pm EST on Thursday, November 30. On the “Meeting Roster” button next to each meeting, you can find the names and email addresses of your fellow advocates for each meeting so you can reach out in advance to introduce yourselves.

What if I can no longer make the December 4 Hill visits?

Please contact us at advocacy@apa.org as soon as possible so we may remove you from the congressional meeting schedule.

What platform is the Summit utilizing?

The Advocacy Summit will be hosted on Zoom. Please ensure that you have the most current Zoom version (5.6.3) by downloading the recent client for meetings here.

How can I attend the Summit?

All participants may join the Advocacy Summit via zoom at 12pm EST on December 3 by clicking this link. 

What is the program for the Summit?

The program for the Summit will be available soon.

How can I attend the Summit’s debriefing session?

All participants may join the Summit’s debriefing session on Monday, December 4, between 3:00pm and 5:00pm EST via Zoom by clicking this link.