FY 2007 GPE Program Funding Efforts

APA Education Policy Office: May 12, 2006

FY 2007 GPE Program Funding Efforts

Although the GPE Program was saved in the FY 2006 appropriations cycle, the funding was reduced to $2 million, eliminating the seven geropsychology training grants and reducing funding for the general training grants by a third. With the GPE Program on life support, there has been an all out effort to garner Congressional support to restore funding to the FY 2005 level of $4.5 million, reinstate the geropsychology grants and allow for a new competition for another three year cycle for all the grants.

In an effort to garner broad support an action alert was sent out on PPAN and other listservs requesting our supporters to contact their Congressional delegation requesting $4.5 million for the GPE Program for FY 2007. There were over 3,500 letters sent—thousands more than any other response to a PPO Action Alert ever.

Not only have APA members been incredibly responsive; they have been willing to take the time and make the effort to come to Washington, DC or meet with key Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and/or their staff at home. GPE grantees, potential GPE grantees, FEDACs, Education training committee members, and psychologists in practice and science who will not directly benefit from the GPE program have graciously volunteered. There have been meetings with the Chairs of both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and with staff of the Chairs and Ranking of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor-Health & Human Services and Education. All the Members of Congress who are on the Appropriations Committees and have (or had) a GPE grant in their district or state have been visited. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Minority Whip, has agreed once again to sponsor a Dear Colleague on the GPE Program. We got strong support from the Minority Members of the House Labor-H Appropriations Subcommittee before their deadline including Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr (D-IL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). We are still working on the Senate side but we do have Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and a number of other hopefuls including those who supported us last year.

Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition: Promoting Health Care Workforce Development and Education

In addition to seeking funding for the GPE Program through a variety of grassroots activities (e.g., constituent/staff Hill visits and congressional testimony), the Education-PPO staff also participates in the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC). An informal alliance of over 50 organizations representing a variety of schools, programs, health professionals and students, HPNEC is dedicated to garnering federal support for the education and training of professional health personnel. More specifically, the members of HPNEC advocate for adequate funding to support health professions and nursing education programs authorized under Titles VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act (including the GPE Program).

HPNEC’s advocacy efforts include: supporting Congressional sign-on letters; submitting testimony before Congress; holding lunch briefings for Capitol Hill staff; bringing in constituents for a lobby day; and holding press briefings. Most recently, HPNEC has helped Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Jack Reed (D-RI) as well as Representatives Charles Norwood (R-GA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) find co-sponsors for their sign-on letters that urge appropriators to restore funding to the health professions programs. Members of HPNEC worked diligently to gather congressional co-signers for the letters to House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Also, as they have done in past years, HPNEC has submitted testimony this year to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. This years testimony highlighted a psychology training program in Nebraska, which receives GPE money.