Report on Children, Youth, and Family Policy Initiatives

June 23, 2003

Public Interest Policy staff of APA's Public Policy Office (PPO) are actively engaged in many legislative and federal activities to promote the welfare of children, youth, and families in Congress and with the Bush administration. PPO staff continue to interact on a regular basis with members of Congress, their staff, and federal agency officials, both in coalitions with other organizations and independently. PPO activities include the preparation of legislative background materials, statutory provisions, and formal comments on proposed legislation and regulation, as well as mobilizing the APA membership for grassroots advocacy efforts. PPO staff also identify and invite psychologists to testify at congressional hearings and APA congressional briefings, as well as to represent the association on federal agency advisory councils and at executive branch meetings and White House conferences.

This document provides an overview of PPO activities undertaken from January 1- June 23 of this year to help ensure that children, youth, and families receive full attention at the federal level. Additionally, PPO's Public Interest Policy staff administer the APA Congressional Fellowship Program, through which four psychologists are currently spending a year on the staff of a member of Congress and/or congressional committee. The office also offers a yearlong public policy internship program for psychology graduate students.

Child, Youth, and Family Appropriations

On March 25, PPO staff submitted report language to the Senate Appropriations Committee in support of FY 2004 funding for critical programs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Administration for Children and Families, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and the Indian Health Service, among others. (An overview of the funding status for key federal programs for FY 2003 and 2004 can be found on the PPO Web site -- see address at the end of this document.)

Head Start Program

To bring psychological research to bear in the Head Start reauthorization process, PPO cosponsored a congressional briefing on June 6, "The Head Start Advantage," with the Society for Research in Child Development and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The panel included Larry Aber, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Alshadye Yemane (Head Start graduate, now with The Urban Institute), Cybele Raver, Ph.D. (University of Chicago), Diane Slaughter-Defoe, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), and Hiro Yoshikawa, Ph.D. (New York University). The presenters provided a strong research basis for retaining federal control of the program with its multiple components and performance standards.

On June 19, a bill to reauthorize the Head Start program, the "School Readiness Act of 2003" (H.R. 2210), was approved by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The legislation, which passed along party lines, refocuses the program's broad mission on early literacy skills and establishes a block grant program in eight states. The bill does not include the controversial proposal to transfer Head Start from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Education.

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Special Education for Children with Disabilities

On February 6, senior staff from PPO and the four APA Directorates, along with a former member of the APA Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment, met with Robert Pasternack, Ph.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education Programs, to discuss the pending Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization. Other topics included the dissemination of evidence based practices, teacher training, discipline, and gaps in the current research literature.

On April 10, PPO staff submitted IDEA report language to the House Education and the Workforce Committee promoting the value of cognitive testing and teaching preparation and training, and raising concerns about proposed disciplinary procedures for special education students. PPO staff provided related guidance to the offices of Reps. George Miller (D-CA), ranking member on the committee, Denise Majette (D-GA), and Charles Rangel (D-NY) regarding these issues. PPO had earlier spearheaded an inter-directorate effort that culminated in the development of a statement by the APA Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment concerning cognitive testing in IDEA, in response to the 2002 report of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. The Board of Directors approved this statement to serve as the basis for PPO briefing materials.

On April 30, PPO joined other health and mental health organizations in opposing two last-minute floor amendments offered to the House IDEA reauthorization bill, the "Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act of 2003" (H.R. 1350). The amendment offered by Rep. Thomas Tancredo (R-CO), which would have redefined "specific learning disability" as "due to a medically detectable and diagnosable physiological condition relying on physical and scientific evidence," was defeated. Unfortunately, the amendment offered by Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ), which expresses the non-binding Sense of Congress that only "a physician or other person certified by a State health board" can diagnose disabilities for special education placement, was approved. (Rep. Shadegg's office apparently was unaware that this provision would not include psychologists in many states). PPO is now directing its attention to the Senate to ensure that these amendments receive no further support. It should be noted that the House-passed bill includes a number of provisions proposed by APA to enhance prevention/early intervention, research, and related services personnel activities.

On June 18, PPO and Practice Directorate staff attended two coalition meetings with staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) to discuss the Senate IDEA reauthorization legislation, the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2003" (S. 1248). Attention focused primarily on lauding the behavioral assessment and intervention components, while expressing concern about the disciplinary provisions and the possible incorporation of the House-passed children and medications provision (see next section). As follow-up, an inter-directorate APA briefing paper was circulated to all members of the Senate HELP Committee on June 23 with a cover letter highlighting positive features of the legislation and offering several recommendations for further improvement.

School Policy and Procedures Concerning Medication

On May 14, PPO sent an APA letter to Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), Chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, in opposition to the "Child Medication Safety Act of 2003" (H.R. 1170). This Act threatens state educational agencies with the loss of federal funding unless the state develops policies and procedures prohibiting school personnel from requiring a child to obtain a prescription for medication (in the form of a controlled substance) as a condition for attending school or receiving services. Copies of this letter were sent to the full committee in preparation for a hearing on children and medication, which PPO staff attended. The substance of the Act had earlier been included in the House-passed version of the IDEA reauthorization bill. H.R.1170 passed the House on May 21 with a favorable amendment by Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) safeguarding communication between school personnel and parents regarding a child's school performance and behavior. PPO staff continue to closely monitor this legislation.

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Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment

On May 22, a House-Senate conference committee approved legislation (H.R. 14/S. 342) to reauthorize the 1996 Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (P.L. 104-235). On June 19, it was cleared for President Bush's signature. The bill includes language contributed by PPO to provide for full physical and mental health screenings for children in child protective service custody and for longitudinal research, among other provisions.

Access to Children's Health Insurance

Sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), the "Family Opportunity Act" (S. 622) would allow middle-income families of children with disabilities to "buy into" the Medicaid program to obtain health and mental health services. PPO staff, in coalition with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), continue to conduct Hill visits and send letters to urge key members of Congress to support the bill.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Training

PPO Public Interest and Education Policy staff worked with Rep. Patrick Kennedy's (D-RI) office last year in drafting a child mental health training initiative. Rep. Kennedy re-introduced the bill this Congress on March 19 as the "Child Healthcare Crisis Relief Act" (H.R. 1359). A companion bill was introduced on June 10 by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Christopher Dodd (D-CT). The legislation includes PPO suggestions regarding definitions of providers and interagency collaboration. A Public Policy Advocacy Network (PPAN) Action Alert to increase the number of congressional cosponsors was sent to key network members and to 17 relevant APA divisions. PPO also sent letters of support to the four congressional sponsors noted above and looks forward to thanking Rep. Kennedy in person at an upcoming meeting with new APA CEO Norman Anderson, Ph.D.

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Adolescents and Trauma

On June 11, PPO arranged for APA to cosponsor a congressional briefing with the College Board on "How Traumatic Events Worldwide are Affecting Adolescents' Decisions about Postsecondary Education." Michael Cohen, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and member of New York City's crisis response team, presented information regarding the critical link between children's mental health and educational achievement. He cited findings from his study of New York City children's psychological reactions to traumatic events, particularly the terrorist acts of September 11^th. Dr. Cohen conducted a pre-briefing telephone interview with Metro Network (listening base of close to five million).

Children and Media

PPO and Children Now led a successful coalition effort to lobby the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to safeguard the interests of children in the recent regulatory action to loosen the rules on corporate media consolidation in local markets. In a 3-2 party-line vote, the FCC inserted provisions to insure that companies adhere to the educational television obligations under the Children's Television Act (CTA). Station owners cannot rerun educational programming across their stations and have it count towards the CTA requirement. Children are the only group that had protections inserted into the final rulemaking. As part of a diverse coalition of public health, education and child advocacy groups, APA staff had sent a formal letter in January to FCC Chairman Michael Powell (along with formal comments to the proposed rule), requesting an exploration of how the potential rulemaking would affect children and minorities. As follow-up, PPO staff met with all of the FCC Commissioners later that month to advocate for further consideration of children's issues in the debate over the proposed rulemaking.

On a related front, PPO submitted comments to the FCC on April 24 as part of the children's media policy coalition concerning children's programming (both educational and informational) on public interest obligations for digital television.

Welfare Reform

PPO staff sent a PPAN Action Alert on February 10 to relevant APA divisions and governance groups asking members to call their U.S. Representative to urge him/her to vote against H.R. 4, the welfare reform reauthorizationbill introduced by Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) and 12 others, since it did not provide for mental health assessment and treatment, among other limitations. Unfortunately, the bill passed the House on February 14 by a margin of 230-192. There has been no further action yet in the Senate.

President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health

PPO and Government Relations Office (GRO) staff represented APA at the monthly meetings of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. (The final public meeting was held in March.) PPO staff continue to support the efforts of our three APA members, Deanna Yates, Ph.D. (President, Texas Psychological Association), Stephen Mayberg, Ph.D. (Director, California Department of Mental Health), and Larke Huang, Ph.D. (Director of Research/Senior Policy Associate at Georgetown University's Center for Child Health and Mental Health Policy). Dr. Huang co-chairs the Children and Families Subcommittee of the commission. PPO and GRO staff also met with commission chair, Michael Hogan, and executive director, Claire Heffernan, together with APA executive staff on April 16 and as part of a newly formed Campaign for Mental Health Reform on May 30 to discuss the final report to the President and next steps. The commission is expected to release its final report by the end of June (two months past due), in keeping with its mandate to conduct a one-year study of the nation's mental health service delivery system and make recommendations for improvement.

On April 24, PPO staff presented a public comment on behalf of APA at the SAMHSA National Advisory Council meeting. The statement highlighted the windows of opportunity offered by the upcoming report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and the pending SAMHSA reauthorization process. It also stressed the need to focus on prevention (particularly of suicide), workforce training, and the mental health needs of special populations, including minorities, people with disabilities or chronic illness, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.

APA Congressional Fellowship Program

The APA Congressional Fellowship Program, now in its 28th year, places psychologists in congressional offices for one year as part of the larger American Association for the Advancement of Science policy fellowship program. The 2002-2003 APA Congressional Fellows are: Catherine Cozzarelli, Ph.D., who is working with Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Linda Demaine, J.D., Ph.D., who is working for the Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic staff (ranking member Patrick Leahy (D-VT)), Neil Kirschner, Ph.D., who is working with Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, and Mischa Thompson, Ph.D., who is working for Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY), ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

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