Action Center

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

Speakers and Panelists

Thema Bryant, PhD, is the 2023 President of the American Psychological Association. She completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Duke University and her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center’s Victims of Violence Program. Upon graduating, she became the Coordinator of the Princeton University SHARE Program, which provides intervention and prevention programming to combat sexual assault, sexual harassment, and harassment based on sexual orientation. She is currently a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Her clinical and research interests center on interpersonal trauma and the societal trauma of oppression. She is a past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women and a past APA representative to the United Nations. Dr. Thema also served on the APA Committee on International Relations in Psychology and the Committee on Women in Psychology. Her professional awards include the APA Award for Distinguished Early Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest; the Donald Fridley Memorial Award for excellence in mentoring in the field of trauma from the Institute of Violence, Abuse and Trauma; and the California Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Achievement in Psychology Award.

Matt Dennis is a veteran legislative and communications strategist with 15 years of experience on Capitol Hill and political campaigns. On behalf of corporations, advocacy groups, coalitions, and nonprofit organizations, Matt develops and executes lobbying and government relations strategies that advance critical public policies and get results. Matt also leads CRD Associates’ communications practice, which focuses on helping clients communicate effectively on federal funding, policy, and other issues through message development, media training, media relations, crisis communications, speechwriting, internal communications, and social media. Before joining CRD Associates, Matt was the Communications Director for the House Appropriations Committee Democrats. He served as a public spokesperson and managed media relations for the Ranking Member and Committee Democrats on legislation appropriating more than $1 trillion in federal spending each year. He previously served as Communications Director in the personal office of Rep. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, Communications Director for Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), and on several political campaigns. Contact Matt Dennis.

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.

Krysta Jones serves as a Director, Congressional and Federal Relations at APA where she covers institutes at the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and maternal health issues. Earlier in her career, she represented APA and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, advocating for women’s and socio-economic status issues, and served as the Director of Outreach for two Members of Congress. She has worked in the Arlington, Virginia County Board Office as an aide to the County Board Chair, and served as the inaugural director of Virginia Promise Partnership, a Virginia state child care advocacy coalition. She serves on the board of the March of Dimes for the DMV-West Virginia market, and the Eastern Area Health and Wellness Committee for The Links, Incorporated. She is a TedX speaker, and a graduate of the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership, Leadership Arlington and the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. Krysta holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a Master of Legislative Affairs degree from The George Washington University. Contact Krysta Jones.

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.

Raegina Likewise, MA, is a Manager of Congressional and Federal Relations at the American Psychological Association. She works with issue specialists to further psychology policy in the areas of education, congressional appropriations, artificial intelligence, and the LGBTQ+ community. She has worked for APA since 2019, initially joining the Accreditation Office before transitioning to the Advocacy Office as a Legislative Assistant. She received her Master of Arts degree from The George Washington University. Contact Raegina Likewise.

Katherine B. McGuire, MSc, is APA’s first chief advocacy officer, responsible for implementing a unified, strategic vision for the association’s government relations efforts and coordinating APA’s broader advocacy initiatives in nongovernmental sectors. 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. In that post, she focused on appropriations, budget priorities and regulatory matters. Before joining the Department of Labor, McGuire served five years in the House of Representatives advising on science and technology issues. Prior to that, she spent five years as vice president for government affairs at the Business Software Alliance. She also served almost 18 years in the U.S. Senate, where she held numerous senior leadership roles. Contact Katherine McGuire.

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 Senior Director for Congressional and Federal Relations & Education Policy Lead at the American Psychological Association where he leads APA’s education policy and advocacy portfolio. He has been with APA since September 2019. His issue areas of focus include the application of psychological science to teaching and learning; school and campus-based mental health; federal student loan and repayment programs; and mental and behavioral health care workforce development. In 2021 and 2022, Kenneth was named one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyist’s. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee for Education Funding and the Title IV-A Coalition. Prior to his work at APA, he spent more than 5 years on the government affairs team at the Council of Graduate Schools. He has an MA in American Politics, an MA in Public Policy, and a BA in Psychology. Originally from New York City, he currently resides in Washington, DC. Contact Kenneth Polishchuk.

Stefanie Reeves FASAE, CAE is the Deputy Chief of Public Policy and Engagement with the American Psychological Association. In this role, she manages the team that advances psychological science on the federal level to increase access to mental health services, combat discrimination and promote health equity. Stefanie was previously the Executive Director of the Maryland Psychological Association. Stefanie has an MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in Psychology from the George Washington University. A member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), she was named a Fellow of the association in 2020, served on their Board from 2018 - 2021 and is a 2008-2009 DELP Scholar. A native Washingtonian, Stefanie lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. Contact Stefanie Reeves.

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.