UPDATE FROM APA'S PUBLIC POLICY OFFICE

Salute to psychologists who educate and advocate

APA's professional advocates in the Public Policy Office promote the association's interests on a range of issues, from behavioral research funding to training for psychologists and expanded mental health services for underserved populations.

But it's not these advocates alone who convince lawmakers of psychology's value as a science and a practice. Even aside from the talented psychologists in governmental positions, including Congressmen Brian Baird, PhD (D-Wash.), and Ted Strickland, PhD (D-Ohio), many APA members have answered the call and walked the halls of Congress in 1999 to explain the importance of psychology to policy-makers.

On behalf of scientific psychology, Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, PhD, of Columbia University and Dennis Proffitt, PhD, of the University of Virginia, explained the importance of their research to members of their state congressional delegations and to members of research funding committees during exhibits of scientific work on Capitol Hill this spring.

Janice Laurence, PhD, and William Strickland, PhD, both from the Human Resources Research Organization, testified about the importance of behavioral research to the U.S. military before the Senate and House Appropriations subcommittees that fund the Defense Department.

The Education Policy group, in partnership with the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, invited four psychologists to speak at a June briefing on "Transitions to School": Andrew Hartman, PhD, of the National Institute for Literacy, Jacquelynne Eccles, PhD, of the University of Michigan, LaRue Allen, PhD, of New York University, and Diana Sharp, PhD, of Vanderbilt University.

In July, nine psychologists who conduct research on human factors related to transportation safety came to Washington for advocacy training and visited their congressional offices: Debbie Boehm-Davis, PhD, of George Mason University, Clint Bowers, PhD, of the University of Central Florida, Nancy Cooke, PhD, of the University of New Mexico, John Flach, PhD, of Wright State University, Raja Parasuraman, PhD, of Catholic University, Dick Pew, PhD, of Bolt, Baranek and Newman Corp., Peter Polson, PhD, of the University of Colorado, Wendy Rogers, PhD, of the University of Georgia, and John Uhlarik, PhD, of Kansas State University.

In September, Gail Wyatt, PhD, of the University of California-Los Angeles, spoke at two briefings on the impact of HIV/AIDS, and at a Congressional Black Caucus meeting on mental health issues in the African-American community. Also speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus event were Diana Slaughter-Defoe, PhD, of Northwestern University, Brian Smedley, PhD, of the Institute of Medicine, and Gayle Porter, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University.

And, in the aftermath of the tragic shootings at Columbine High School, APA's Public Interest Policy group facilitated the testimony of seven psychologists who are experts on violence: Karen Bierman, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, Dewey Cornell, PhD, of the University of Virginia, Rowell Huesmann, PhD, of the University of Michigan, Dale Kunkel, PhD, of the University of California-Santa Barbara, Peter Sheras, PhD, of the University of Virginia, Lawrence Steinberg, PhD, of Temple University, and Mark Weist, PhD, of the University of Maryland.

At an October "Decade of the Brain" event sponsored by the Charles Dana Foundation, Marilyn Alberts, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, Denise Park, PhD, of the University of Michigan, Larry Squire, PhD, of the University of California-San Diego, and Bruce McEwen, PhD, of Rockefeller University spoke at the Library of Congress.

Also in October, the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences featured Robyn Dawes, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh at a briefing on the controversy between science and expert intuition. And Cheryl Travis, PhD, of the University of Tennesee and Wendy Naumann, PhD, of the University of Memphis briefed one of their senators on the Decade of Behavior.

Art McDonald, PhD, of Dull Knife College in Montana met with his senators and representative several times on issues related to education and training of Native American psychologists. Herb Goldstein, PhD, of Florida met with the chair of the House Appropriations Committee about funding for a National Health Service Corps State Grant Incentive Program to place psychologists and other mental health professionals into underserved areas. Paula Hartman-Stein, PhD, of Ohio, Lynn Steinman, PhD, of California and Bill Myers, PhD, of Pennsylvania met with key members of the House Education and Labor Committee about a training provision for psychologists and other mental health professionals in the Older Americans Act. David Dettman, PhD, of Iowa met with the chair of the Special Committee on Aging regarding a Hill briefing on the role of psychologists in "aging successfully."

We salute those named, and the many unnamed APA members who have written or called their members of Congress this year.

If you are contacted by the office of a member of congress to comment on legislation or testify on the Hill, please contact APA's Public Policy Ofice at (202) 336-6062 for support and guidance.

Older Americans Act is closer to renewal

APA's Education advocacy staff has played a key role in helping to revise and move bills through the House and Senate that would reauthorize the Older Americans Act for another five years. If passed by Congress, the bill would provide up to $1.44 billion next year in health, lifestyle and employment programs for seniors.

At the urging of the APA advocacy staff, critical additions were made to a House bill that had already cleared committee and was ready for floor action. Rep. Bill Goodling (R-Pa.), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, agreed to include in its version of the bill (H.R. 782) a provision that would allow graduate training in aging for psychologists and other mental health professionals. The bill recognizes the importance of mental health services for older Americans, especially services that enable them to attain and maintain emotional well-being and independent living.

Meanwhile, in a Senate version of the bill (S. 1536), Sen. Michael DeWine (R-Ohio), chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Aging Subcommittee, granted the advocacy staff's request to add language providing graduate (including postdoctoral) training of psychologists and other mental health professionals to specialize in aging. It was when APA members and the Education advocacy staff took that language back to Goodling, that he agreed to include it in the House version as well.

The House bill was nearing floor action at press time; the Senate bill is under consideration by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.



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