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Public Interest Government Relations Office (PI-GRO)
Advocacy
In conjunction with the 2008 Summit on Violence and Abuse in February, PI-GRO hosted a federal advocacy training followed by visits with federal policy makers for 50 Summit participants. The advocacy training session provided participants with an overview of the federal legislative process, effective strategies for informing and influencing federal policy makers, and a detailed briefing regarding the Violence Against Women Act and Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. Following the advocacy training, participants visited their congressional offices to discuss appropriations funding for these important programs and the role that psychology plays in the prevention and treatment of violence, trauma, and abuse. On a related front, PI-GRO staff organized a congressional briefing entitled, “Trauma, Violence, and Abuse: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Across the Lifespan.” Speakers for the event were APA members John A. Fairbank, Ph.D., Carolyn M. West, Ph.D., Liza M. Suarez, Ph.D., Dolores Subia BigFoot, Ph.D., and Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D.
Children, Youth, and Families
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). CAPTA is the key federal legislation addressing child abuse and neglect. PI-GRO staff continues to advocate, as a member of the National Child Abuse Coalition, on behalf of full funding for CAPTA programs, including Title I – basic state grants which help states strengthen their child protection systems; Title II – community-based prevention grants which authorize grants to states to help establish and operate community-based and prevention- focused programs and activities that may be networked to coordinate a wide variety of services and resources for families; and discretionary and research activities. Furthermore, PI-GRO staff worked closely with the Office of Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) in an effort to send a letter from members of Congress to the House appropriators requesting full funding for CAPTA programs.
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Enacted in 1974, JJDPA serves as the nation’s most important law pertaining to the treatment of juvenile offenders and the prevention of delinquency among at-risk youth. In anticipation of JJDPA’s reauthorization, PI-GRO worked with APA members and the APA Science Directorate to develop a set of recommendations to improve this crucial legislation. Areas of priority include: increasing utilization of evidence-based practices in prevention and intervention programs funded by JJDPA; providing funds for program evaluation when evidence-based practices are not used; focusing on the mental health needs of juvenile delinquents and those at-risk of delinquency, including the high prevalence among this population of conduct disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder; researching the unique risk factors and needs of female offenders and those at-risk of offending; and researching the prevalence of disability among the juvenile justice population and how most effectively to intervene with this group. APA recommendations were sent to key congressional offices in March.
Changes to Medicaid Regulations. PI-GRO staff has been closely following recent changes to Medicaid regulations and engaging in efforts to create a moratorium for their implementation. The new restrictions will limit access to necessary case management services for Medicaid-eligible individuals and to certain rehabilitation services for individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as prohibit reimbursement to school systems for some Medicaid costs. Children with disabilities and children in foster care and in the juvenile justice system would be directly affected, and services to these children would no longer be reimbursed under Medicaid. PI-GRO staff was successful in including language in the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act to impose a six-month delay on implementation of the proposed Medicaid regulations, effectively blocking a $6 billion cut to Medicaid services for vulnerable children and people with disabilities.
Immigrant Children. PI-GRO staff provided information to Congress regarding the potential long-term adverse psychological impact on children’s mental health of certain immigration policies, particularly trauma associated with instances of raids performed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Disability Issues
Disability Savings. PI-GRO staff is working with key Senate offices in support of the Disability Savings Act of 2008. This legislation would allow individuals with disabilities and their families to save private funds for disability-related expenses and not risk losing eligibility for Federal support services, such as SSI and Medicaid. Almost 30 percent of adults with disabilities live in households with an income of $15,000 or less compared to only 12 percent of those without disabilities. This legislation is a critical first step in addressing the significant economic disparities faced by families with a member with a disability.
Family Supports. There are an estimated 4.5 million individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) in the United States. Developmental disabilities are severe, life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, manifested before age 22, that result in substantial limitations in three or more areas of major life activities. PI-GRO staff has urged Congress to fund Family Support Programs that would promote comprehensive state systems to support families who have a member with a developmental disability. Such systems would center on the coordination and collaboration of services to the family as a unit, which can result in increased family engagement in care and family preservation and satisfaction.
Ethnic Minority Affairs
Congressional Black Caucus Spring 2008 Health Braintrust. APA members Gayle K. Porter, Psy.D., and Brian Smedley, Ph.D., and PI-GRO staff, Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., have been invited to speak at the Congressional Black Caucus Spring Health Braintrust and the 5th annual Health Disparities Leadership Summit which will be held on April 15. Their panel is being hosted by Congresswoman Christensen and will focus on a wide range of health issues, including improving mental health care, HIV/AIDS, eliminating health disparities, and addressing issues pertaining to rural health, cultural competence, and health equity.
The Public Interest Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) submitted to Congress in March APA’s recommendations for the upcoming reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. PI-GRO worked closely with members and the Science Directorate in developing these recommendations, which strongly encourage the use of programs that are shown to be effective and emphasize increased attention to mental health issues, with particular attention to the needs of ethnic minorities, girls, and individuals with disabilities. PI-GRO staff, at the request of key congressional staff, also provided a top-five list of ways to improve mental health service delivery within juvenile justice systems.
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