January 25, 2006

Joshua B. Bolten Director
Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office of the President
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20503

Dear Director Bolten:

On behalf of the 150,000 members and affiliates of the American Psychological Association (APA), I am writing to respectfully request that in developing the President’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget proposal you request the full $40 million for the programs authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.

As you know, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act is vital legislation developed to address the national tragedy of youth suicide. Among its key components, the legislation authorizes funds for centers on college campuses that provide mental and behavioral health services to students in an effort to increase and improve services on those campuses.

In its Fiscal Year 2006 Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill, Congress provided $27 million to develop early intervention and prevention strategies, campus-based programs and provide technical assistance to address the growing problem of youth suicide. Making available additional funds in Fiscal Year 2007 would allow for these critical programs to expand and better serve the thousands of youth that are in urgent need of assistance.  

There is strong evidence documenting the growing and challenging need for mental and behavioral health services on college campuses. Addressing the social and emotional needs of college students will go a long way toward improving the health and welfare of our next generation, while reducing the incidence of depression, suicide, and substance abuse. A focus on the mental and behavioral health needs of college students can yield significant positive benefits in important accountability areas, such as retention and graduation rates, as well as other indicators of college success.

The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act seeks to give colleges and universities the tools they need to raise awareness about suicide, as well as enable schools to train faculty and students to identify and intervene when youth are in crisis and develop a system to refer students to appropriate treatment resources when necessary. Institutions of higher education are eager toimplement critically needed measures before a crisis happens, but they require appropriate resources to do so. These prudent steps will ensure that more of our nation’s young adults will have the opportunity to excel personally and academically.

Investing in each of the programs authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act -- Youth Suicide Early Intervention Strategies; the Mental and Behavioral Health Services on Campus, and the Technical Assistance Center – is urgently needed as one considers the staggering fact that suicide continues to be the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24. We are grateful for the Administration’s commitment to improving the lives of persons suffering from mental disorders and welcome the opportunity to work with you and your staff to ensure that the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act has a meaningful impact on our nation’s youth.

Thank you for your consideration of this important request. Please contact Jennifer Smulson at (202) 336-5945 or Annie Toro at (202) 336-6068 in APA’s Government Relations Office if we can be of any further assistance to you.

Sincerely,

Norman B. Anderson, PhD
Chief Executive Officer

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