The Honorable Tim Murphy, PhD, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was awarded a Presidential Citation in recognition of his invaluable work as a leader in Congress on mental health policy issues, including the development and House passage of legislation to improve our nation's mental health care system.
His expertise as a clinical psychologist and his service as a legislator in the House of Representatives embody the mission of the American Psychological Association to "advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives." Murphy is especially to be commended for being a leading voice for increasing access to care for individuals with serious mental illness. Over the past few years he has worked tirelessly to engage with hundreds of individuals affected by mental illness and substance use disorders, including patients, family members and health care professionals and to build awareness and support for change among his colleagues in Congress. The House of Representatives passed his legislation, the "Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act," on July 6, 2016 by a resounding vote of 422-2. This outcome is a testament to his success in collaborating with both Republicans and Democrats, and developing legislation that seeks to balance the needs and concerns of the diverse members of the mental health community. His legislation holds the promise of helping to close the wide gap between what we know about the benefits of evidence-based treatment for mental disorders and the availability of such services for those who need them. We are proud that one of our own has led the charge on this issue, and we look forward to continuing our work with him in this Congress and beyond to enact policies that bring mental health treatment in this country to a new day.