Information Alert: Support Mental and Behavioral Health Services on College Campuses

October 1, 2003

Dear Colleagues:

Get ready, get set! In the upcoming days, APA's Public Policy Office (PPO) will need your help on raising awareness about an important legislative initiative. PPO has put forward a proposal that will authorize federal support for grants to centers on college campuses that provide mental and behavioral health services to students. Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee has expressed interest in working with us on this idea and his office is busy generating a bill/amendment that will authorize a new program within the Higher Education Act to support centers on college campuses that provide mental and behavioral health services to students. We will almost certainly have to take action quickly and help Members of Congress understand why this idea is one they should support. Without support from APA constituents in key Congressional Districts, it is unlikely that this proposal will be accepted by the House Education and the Workforce Committee. So, while we don't need you to begin calling/e-mailing today, it will be critical to have your support and for you to take action when the time is right.

For your information, we have included background information regarding this legislative initiative. Please be on alert in the upcoming days for an all out Action Alert. We appreciate your participation and look forward to working with you.

BACKGROUND

The program, proposed by the American Psychological Association as part of its recommendations to the reauthorization of the HEA, addresses the serious problem of the growing need for psychological services on college campuses. The proposal seeks to improve success in college and protect the federal investment in our nation's post-secondary students by strengthening the amount of, type of and access to mental and behavioral health services on college campuses. Mental and behavioral health issues are underlying factors impacting a student's ability to succeed in college-- these include a range of issues from living and coping independently to diagnosable mental disorders. The Surgeon General reported (in 2000) that one in five adolescents experience the signs and symptoms of a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. The most common mental health problems associated with college students include anxiety and depression, which may lead to suicide -- now the third leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds. In addition to these mental health problems on campus, there are a host of behavioral health problems including alcoholism, substance abuse, sexual violence, and eating disorders. These problems affect the ability of students to function normally and successfully in a college environment. They may cause serious physical problems, academic failure, inability to complete college and in some cases, suicide. In the past decade, the prevalence of these problems has increased. Psychologists are needed on campuses across the nation to treat the growing mental and behavioral health problems of college students.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Jenny Smulson in APA's Public Policy Office via email or at (202) 336-5945. Thanks in advance for taking your valuable time to make a difference in changing federal laws to increase opportunities for success in college.

More information on the Higher Education Act.

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