APA and the entire psychological community lost a passionate champion with the passing of Rep. C.W. Bill Young, former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. As a visionary policymaker who recognized the need for psychological services to underserved populations across the country, he spearheaded the establishment of the Graduate Psychology Education Program within the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Center for Deployment Psychology within the Department of Defense to aid our military populations. As a longstanding friend of psychology, he played a key role in increasing the participation of psychologists in the National Health Service Corps and secured federal support for state-based mental health summits. The latter focus on mental health needs in rural areas, the placement of psychologists in underserved communities, and increasing interdisciplinary training and service delivery. We will miss his distinguished leadership and unwavering commitment to addressing mental health needs for underserved populations.
Our thoughts are with his family and his former colleagues as we honor his lifetime of public service and his dedication to improving the mental health of all Americans.