December 1, 2004

We have just learned the final funding levels in the FY 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Fortunately we were able to maintain funding for the Graduate Psychology Education Program, but unfortunately we were not able to obtain the increase we had pursued. GPE is level-funded at the FY 2004 level of $4.5 million. In addition, although we now have legislative authority, the campus mental health component of the newly enacted Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act on youth suicide prevention did not receive funding in the appropriations process -- a most difficult one for us this year.

We are disappointed but not discouraged. Both of these programs were established by Congress to address the nation's unmet mental and behavioral health needs, and they are important to society as well as to psychology. We must increase our efforts and will need your help to gain support from Members of Congress through grassroots efforts to garner new champions. We must also surmount the barriers to our advocacy efforts that we encounter by not having an organization with 501(c)(6) tax status, such as that which has facilitated the work of our practitioner colleagues. We have been addressing this issue, and hope to have more information about potential solutions in the near future.

Click Here for More Information on Funding for Education and Health Professions Programs

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