During the reauthorization of the Health Professions Programs (Title VII of the Public Health Service Act) in the 108th Congress, APA Education advocacy staff will seek a clear and strong authority for the Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program. This statutory authority would establish permanence for the GPE program in the current health legislation (i.e., the Public Health Service Act) and facilitate the quest for annual funding.

During the last reauthorization in 1998 - a process that took six years to complete - APA Education advocacy staff gained a foothold for a separate psychology program (e.g., GPE) by spearheading efforts to gain a section under ”Allied Health and Other Disciplines”. This new section allowed the Secretary (of Health and Human Services) to fund programs to train those in “graduate programs of behavioral and mental health” of which psychology is one. Specifically “health service psychologists” are eligible for federally supported training.

Since the Senate will begin the process of reauthorizing the Health Professions Program, and because the Senate is more likely than the House to draft a bill, APA Education advocacy staff has already met with staff of the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Public Health Subcommittee. APA has also begun bringing APA member constituents into Washington to meet with key Public Health Subcommittee Members. The purpose of the hill visits is to emphasize the importance of GPE to their community and state and request the Member’s support for APA’s amendments, which will ensure a solid authority for the GPE program within the Bureau of Health Professions.

Back to Top^