About Us
APA advocacy is guided by the philosophy that public policy should be based on available scientific knowledge, and that psychological research can contribute to the formulation of sound public policy to address specific social problems and improve human welfare.
The Government Relations Office is a major component of this program. APA's Government Relations Office works to:
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Inform Congress about psychology and its relevance to federal policy;
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Advocate for increased support for federally-funded psychological research and behavioral and mental health services;
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Strengthen the voice of psychology at the regulatory level;
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Advance opportunities for the education and training of psychologists; and
- Combine the expertise of psychologists to address the many challenges facing our nation.
Advocacy
In support of these goals, APA maintains a close liaison with decision-makers on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies by:
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Working with them and their staff as they formulate legislation and regulations of interest to psychologists; and
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Preparing and disseminating briefing papers, congressional testimony, and responses to proposed federal agency regulations, and conducting formal congressional briefings.
APA also advises policymakers on a wide range of issues. Recent examples include: response to terrorism; application of human factors research to improve health and safety; welfare reform; behavioral research funding; psychology and education; federal graduate student loans and scholarship programs; and mental health needs of underserved populations, including children, older adults, and people of color. To learn more about these and other issues supported by APA, visit www.apa.org/ppo/issues.
Fellowship Programs
PPO administers the APA Congressional and Science Policy Fellowship Programs, which offer members the opportunity to spend one year as a special assistant with a member of Congress or congressional committee on Capitol Hill or with a federal agency, such as the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the National Institutes of Health. The programs are intended to:
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Provide psychologists with an invaluable public policy learning experience;
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Contribute to the more effective use of psychological knowledge in government; and
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Broaden awareness about the value of psychology-government interaction among psychologists and within the federal government.
Congressional Fellows often engage in conducting legislative or oversight work; assisting in congressional hearings and debates; and preparing briefs and writing speeches.
Outreach
PPO keeps members informed of recent federal initiatives and supports their involvement in the public policymaking process. To accomplish this goal, PPO has developed the following:
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Public Policy Advocacy Network (PPAN), an e-mail grassroots network to help interested psychologists advocate for their discipline. PPO disseminates information and action alerts to PPAN members focusing on recent or upcoming federal legislative or regulatory action of concern to psychology. These alerts are supplemented with more detailed background information on the PPO home page (www.apa.org/ppo/);
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Science Policy Insider News (SPIN), a monthly electronic newsletter for those interested in Science Policy issues, which is now available by subscription from the PPO homepage;
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Government Relations Update, a monthly article in the Monitor on Psychology, which features timely federal policy issues of critical importance to psychology; and
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The Federal Education Advocacy Network (FEDAC) that has regional coordinators and will soon represent the full spectrum of APA-accredited psychology education and training programs.
PPO also forges and maintains vital links between APA and other scientific and professional societies, organizations, and coalitions to advance common policy interests.
Government Relations Resource Materials
PPO provides resources that enable APA members and other psychologists how to effectively communicate with federal lawmakers:
Advancing Psychology: A Psychologist's Guide to Federal Policymaking offers an easy-to-understand short course in the federal legislative process. There are three versions of the Guide, each offering examples relevant to science, education, or public interest advocacy. Abridged versions of the guides are available on PPO's Web site. The Guide explains how to develop and maintain contact with congressional decisionmakers in a way that does not require knowledge of all the subtleties of the public policy process, and
The APA Congressional Directory of the 109th Congress: 2005-2006 includes a listing for each member of Congress, key White House staff, the Cabinet, Supreme Court, selected federal agencies, and state governors. The directory also provides information about communicating with Congress and how a bill becomes a law.
Single copies are available to members at no cost through PPO.
For More Information
Please contact the Government Relations Office by phone (202-336-6062), fax (202-336-6063), or e-mail (
ppo@apa.org), or visit the Government Relations home page at: http://www.apa.org/ppo/ .
To get involved in advocacy on behalf of psychology, also visit these sites:
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