Becoming a Grassroots Advocate: Advancing Counseling Psychology

While snow and ice gripped much of the U.S. this past month, APA members attending the midwinter meeting of the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP) escaped “old man winter” as they enjoyed a variety of sessions held at the Hilton Hotel in the beautiful downtown Palm Springs, California.

This year CCPTP offered an advocacy workshop presented by Nina Levitt, EdD, Director of APA Education-Public Policy Office and Sheila Forsyth, Education Advocacy Consultant. Entitled “Becoming a Grassroots Advocate – Advancing Counseling Psychology”, the two-part workshop provided an overview of the importance of advocacy, a brief review of the federal legislative process and – most importantly – the many opportunities where psychology can influence that process.

Using the recent success of Garrett-Lee-Smith Memorial Act (GLSMA), which includes elements of the APA proposed Campus Care and Counseling Act (CCCA), Nina Levitt walked everyone through the stages and steps of “how a bill becomes law”. Levitt explained that passage of the GLSA was actually quite unusual, in that it was passed by both the Senate and House at an incredibly fast pace (i.e., within two days once introduced). Many bills, such as the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act or Public Health Service Act, can take as long as six years. Levitt also pointed out that support for the CCCA was due in large measure to the grassroots support (letters, phone calls, and visits) from psychologists all across the country, including many CCPTP members.

Following the overview of the federal legislative process, Sheila Forsyth underscored the critical role that grassroots support plays in the success of any legislative initiative and urged CCPTP members to join the Federal Education Advocacy Coordinators (FEDAC) grassroots network. Specifically, she invited members to sign up to become a Campus/Training Representative at their institution or training site. Levitt and Forsyth both noted the consequences of non-involvement (e.g., lack of funding for psychology education/training programs, exclusion of psychology in federal programs, and failure to recognize the critical contributions that psychology makes to health and education).

In addition to learning about the legislative process and the “behind the scenes” maneuvering and negotiating involved in the passage of the GLSMA/CCCA, participants also learned how to communicate most effectively with Members of Congress and their staff, as well as what to do to prepare for a Congressional hill visit. Levitt and Forsyth concluded their workshop by noting that a day-long advocacy training session, including hill visits, will be conducted at the APA annual convention this year, which is to be held in Washington, DC. APA members and graduate students are urged to participate. For further information contact Amanda Ring