Public Interest Government Relations Office

The Public Interest Government Relations Office actively engages in shaping federal policy to promote psychology in the public interest. Issue areas include: aging; children, youth, and families; individuals with disabilities; ethnic minority affairs; HIV/AIDS; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; socioeconomic status; and women’s issues.

News & Events

• PI-GRO Welcomes Amalia Corby-Edwards

  Corby-Edwards will direct federal policy initiatives related to children and women.

• PI-GRO Welcomes Roberta Downing, PhD

  Downing will direct federal policy initiatives related to socioeconomic status, poverty and aging.

• APA Recommends Medicare and Medicaid Reforms

  APA signed two letters responding to the Senate Finance Committee’s request for information on strengthening America’s mental and behavioral health system.

• PI-GRO 2013 Convention Update (PDF, 2.9MB)

Key Policy Areas

• Aging

  Advocacy efforts address mental health care and community-based services, poverty, violence, suicide, elder abuse, caregiver support, and improving psychological services in long-term care.

• Children, Youth and Families

  Advocacy efforts address child abuse, access to child care and pre-school programs, improving mental health, juvenile justice, and violence prevention.

• Disability Issues

  Advocacy efforts address access to health care, employment protections, addressing stigma, international issues, parents with disabilities, and elementary and secondary education.

• Ethnic Minority Affairs

  Advocacy efforts address improving health and reducing health care disparities, cultural competence, the Minority Fellowship Program, American Indian/Alaska Native health services, and immigration.

• Health Care Reform

  Advocacy efforts address reducing health disparities across all populations, health care reform policy, increasing access to mental and behavioral health services, and addressing the social determinants of health.

• HIV and AIDS

  Advocacy efforts address substance use, mental and behavioral health, addressing stigma, and the effective application of psychology to the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues

  Advocacy efforts address stigma, discrimination and prejudice, hate crimes, health disparities, health data collection and research, violence, bullying prevention and workplace rights.

• Poverty and Socioeconomic Status

  Advocacy efforts address access to health care, education, safe and affordable housing, adequate wages, safety net programs and employment laws.

• Trauma, Violence and Abuse

  APA advocacy efforts related to violence prevention and gun violence include threat assessment, increasing the research base, and disseminating evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies.

• Women’s Issues

  Advocacy efforts address include addressing postpartum depression, reproductive health, prevention of violence and abuse, and equality in employment and education.

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