NOTE: Please share this update with your individual memberships. Thanks!
Education GRO Legislative Update
October 2010 Table of Contents
1) What’s New? ED GRO Staffer
2) Update: Close of the 111th & Start of 112th Congress
3) ED GRO Issues Update & Grassroots Activities
4) 2010 ELC & Education Advocacy Distinguished Service Awards
1) WHAT’S NEW? ED GRO STAFFER
We are delighted to announce a new member of the Education Government Relations Office (ED GRO) staff: Arielle Eiser. Arielle, our new legislative assistant, comes to us from the National Association of Counties, where she worked with their legislative department on a variety of issues. Before that, she served as a legislative intern for Senator Robert Casey (PA) and focused primarily on education and immigration issues. She is excited to join our team and looks forward to working on and assisting with the ED GRO issues and activities.
2) UPDATE: CLOSE OF THE 111TH & START OF 112TH CONGRESS
(By Jenny Smulson, Sr. Legislative/Federal Affairs Officer)
Close of the 111th Congress – The 111th Congress was an active one – with achievements in policy areas from health care to financial regulation to name just a few of the most significant. Still, its closing days were ones of inaction. Congress left abruptly on September 30th after passing a “continuing resolution” – legislation which will keep the government running with funding at the last year’s level (FY’10) through December 3rd.
It seems that Democrats and Republicans agree on very little these days except for cutting spending.
Prior to leaving town, the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations' bills had been passed by the Senate Full Committee and by the Subcommittee in the House. (This bill includes funding for many of the programs of importance to APA, including GPE, education programs and health programs.) During the closing days of the 111th Congress, there was some talk of an active “lame duck” session post-election – an opportunity to pass other big or significant pieces of legislation that were left undone. The chances of that playing out are very unlikely at this point due to the great uncertainty of what is to come on November 2nd. It is even difficult to predict how the “must pass” legislation – the appropriations bills – will be resolved. Why? Democrats would like to complete the FY’11 appropriations during the lame duck, while Republicans want to delay finalizing funding levels until the next Congress. Further, the Bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility will report on December 1st, and those recommendations may have some impact on the agenda for the 112th, regardless of who is in power.
After The November Elections: The 112th Congress – What does the future hold for the 112th Congress? Anyone who tells you they know for certain is pulling your leg!
The balance of power in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is in flux. Polls in most of these races are too close to call. Some pundits are predicting the Republicans will gain control of the House – and that the Senate ratio will move in favor of Republicans, but that the Democrats will maintain control. All of this talk is just that – no one really knows what will happen in a week’s time.
However, the outcome will significantly affect the agenda for the 112th Congress. The Chairman of the important Labor, HHS Subcommittee is retiring (David Obey) and the two Democrats behind him who could take over the helm of that Subcommittee (Nita Lowey or Rosa DeLauro), are both supporters of the Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program. If the Republicans take the House, Todd Tihart is the ranking member – not a committed supporter of GPE. In the Senate, the Subcommittee is chaired by Senator Inouye; the Ranking Member is Sen. Thad Cochran, who is a strong supporter of GPE.
Regardless of who triumphs on November 2nd, Congress will be more closely divided and there will be little incentive to work together or compromise during this Presidential election year cycle – especially with the budget. Consequently, tough times are ahead for some of our programs in the 112th Congress.
WANT MORE DETAILS? Read “Washington Update and Post-Election Outlook” from our appropriations consultants at the Cavarocchi - Ruscio - Dennis Associates, L.L.C website: http://dc-crd.com/documents/Clientupdate10-10.pdf
3) ED GRO ISSUES UPDATE & GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES
*AUTHORIZING & APPROPRIATIONS
Health Care Reform Legislation – Education GRO staff succeeded in advancing psychology workforce development provisions in both the Senate and House healthcare reform bills. The final historic passage of the legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, contains the Senate provisions on workforce development that includes the authorization of appropriations of $10 million for training in doctoral, postdoctoral, internship and residency in psychology. Further information available at: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/education/news/2010/workforce-provisions.aspx
Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program - MAJOR GAIN: For the first time the GPE Program received ALL $7 million requested by APA in the House Labor-Health & Humans Services-Education FY2011 appropriation bill.
In addition, the GPE Program was included in the President’s FY 2011 Budget at the FY 2010 level of $2.95 million. Nevertheless, Education GRO has continued its efforts to gain increased funding for the GPE Program. In January and February, 33 hill visits by 22 APA members and staff were made to Senate and House appropriators to advocate for $7 million for the GPE Program to support specialized training with older adults, children, chronically ill persons, victims of abuse or trauma, including veterans and their families, and unemployed persons. The Senate Appropriations Committee also met in July and approved its version of the bill funding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) providing $8.6 million for mental and behavioral health training grants for those health professions with included in the new Section 756 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L.111-148 a minimum for the GPE Program at its current level of $3 million. For further information visit: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/gpe/index.aspx
Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – Education GRO staff spearheaded the development of APA’s recommendations for the improvement of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Upon completion of the recommendations, Education GRO staff met with staff from the leaders of House and Senate Committees and other relevant Congressional staff to share and promote the APA’s expertise related to education policy. APA’s recommendations cover topics related to teacher professional development, teaching skills, violence directed towards teachers, school climate and safe schools, bullying, expanded school mental health, gifted and talented education, English language acquisition, to name a few. For further information visit: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/education/index.aspx
*FEDERAL AGENCY RELATED INITIATIVES
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions (BHPr)
National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program - Education GRO staff has continued its efforts to include psychology students in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program. The NHSC is exploring an expansion in the disciplines available for the scholarship and ED GRO has submitted documents urging that psychology be added as an included discipline. Currently, psychologists are only eligible for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program on a full time and part time basis. Further information available at: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/nhsc/index.aspx
Graduate Psychology Education Program Grants – There are approximately 900 universities, professional schools and hospitals nationwide eligible for a GPE grant. Since 2002, there have been 89 grants in 32 states, including the District of Columbia, awarded for more than $27 million.
GPE Grantees Announced: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced $2.6 million for training grants for the GPE program under HRSA. Nineteen (19) accredited graduate programs of psychology and private entities were funded for FY 2010 through 2013. A listing of the new GPE Grants is available at: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/education/advocacy/2010/hrsa-grantees.aspx
Substance Abuse/Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Comprehensive SAMHSA Reauthorization Recommendations – Education GRO staff, in collaboration with Public Interest GRO staff, have developed comprehensive recommendations for the reauthorization of SAMHSA. These recommendations include a focus on access for older adults, prevention and early intervention efforts in mental health for children and adolescents, mental health workforce training and data collection, to name a few, as well as the critical issues highlighted below.
SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) – Education GRO staff, in collaboration with the Public Interest GRO, called a meeting of the Mental Health Workforce Coalition to discuss increased funding and an explicit authorization for the MFP. In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the FY 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations bill including flat funding for the MFP at $4.897 million for FY 2011. For further information about the MFP visit: http://www.apa.org/pi/mfp/
SAMHSA Campus Mental Health Services – Education GRO staff launched an action alert in support of House and Senate companion legislation designed to expand the range of mental and behavioral health services to students on college campuses. The Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act (S.682/HR1704) would allow for the provision of direct services to post-secondary students in need of support, as well as establish a targeted public education campaign focused on mental and behavioral health on college campuses. In addition, it establishes a College Campus Task Force, made up of representatives from relevant federal agencies to discuss mental and behavioral health concerns on college and university campuses. These programs would complement the Campus Suicide Prevention program administered by SAMHSA and authorized as part of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.
*NOMINATIONS TO KEY FEDERAL COMMISSIONS/COMMITTEES
Psychologists Nominated to Key Positions - Education GRO has advanced the nominations of APA members for the following positions:
Ronald H. Rozensky, Ph.D., ABPP, for appointment to the National Health Care Workforce Commission. Established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Commission serves as a national resource for Congress, the President, States, and localities, disseminating information and making recommendations on such issues as current and projected health care workforce supply and demand, health care workforce education/training capacity, identifying barriers to improved coordination at the Federal, State, and local levels and recommending ways to address such barriers.
Dennis Freeman, PhD to the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee concerning the definitions of Medically Underserved Populations and Health Professions Shortage Areas, which directly impacts the practice of psychology in underserved rural and urban communities.
Susan McDaniel, PhD and Alexander Blount, EdD to serve on the HRSA’s Advisory Committee for Interdisciplinary, Community-based Linkages, which provides advice on programmatic matters concerning the agency in the targeted areas/disciplines including Area Health Education Centers, Health Education Training Centers, Allied Health training, and Geriatric and Rural training centers/programs.
Gary Hawley, PhD and Darryl Salvador, PhD to the National Health Service Advisory Council for advising the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on strategies for effective implementation of the planned massive expansion of this federal program.
*EDUCATION ADVOCACY GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES
APA Convention Annual Education Advocacy Breakfast - Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, the Administrator for HRSA, was the keynote speaker. Dr. Wakefield oversees six bureaus and 13 offices within HRSA to fill health care gaps for those living outside the economic and medical mainstream. The agency uses its $7 billion annual budget (FY 2010) to expand access to quality health care, in partnership with health care providers and health professions training programs. Dr. Wakefield spoke about integrated health care as a priority and the important role that psychologists play as part of a team providing health care to underserved persons.
Growing the Federal Education Advocacy Coordinators (FEDAC) Grassroots Network – Education GRO launched a major recruiting campaign this spring and summer to increase the number of FEDAC Campus/Training Representatives (CTR) nationwide. As a result, nearly 100 new CTRs have joined the FEDAC grassroots network. Learn more about FEDAC at: http://www.apa.org/about/gr/advocacy/fedac.aspx
Education/Public Interest GRO Advocacy Training & Hill Visits at APA in 2011 – The ED and PI GRO staff are working together with the APA Continuing Education (CE) Office to provide advocacy training during the 2011 APA convention, which will be held in Washington, DC. Participants will also participate in hill visits, following the three-hour morning training session planned for Thursday (8/4/11). Christopher Kush, President of Soapbox Consulting, will also be participating in this very unique opportunity for psychologists and graduate students attending the convention. Further, because the convention is scheduled earlier in August next year, there is a good chance that a number of the meetings will be with Congressional Members, as well as staff.
4) 2010 ELC & EDUCATION ADVOCACY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Advocacy continues to be an integral and exciting part of the annual Education Leadership Conference (ELC). This year David Rudd, PhD, David Riggs, PhD and Nadya Fouad, PhD, ABPP, captivated ELC participants with a special panel presentation, Graduate Psychology Education: Serving Veterans and Unemployed Persons in Underserved Communities. Their remarks underscored the role that psychologists can play in addressing issues of trauma related to unemployment and/or post-deployment of military personnel, two new underserved populations that the GPE program seeks to serve. In addition, nearly 50 ELC members attended the very popular mini-workshop, Advocacy for Novices. Further, ELC advocates participated in 189 meetings on Capitol Hill (i.e., 78 in the U.S. Senate and 111 in the U.S. House of Representatives), representing 39 states. In fact, since 2003, over 1,000 hill visits have been made by ELC participants. More information on the 2010 ELC is provided at: http://www.apa.org/ed/governance/elc/2010/index.aspx
The Education Advocacy Distinguished Service Awards were also presented during ELC by Board of Educational Affairs Chair, Janet Matthews, PhD and APA President Carol Goodheart, PhD. Three individuals were honored for their contributions: Cindy Juntunen, Ph.D (University of North Dakota) in the category of APA Member-At-Large; Philinda Hutchings, Ph.D (Midwestern University), for her work with the Federal Education Advocacy Grassroots Network; and Debbie Jessup, Legislative Assistant to Representative Lucile Roybal-Allard, was presented the Friend of Psychology Award for her efforts to gain increased psychological services to underserved populations.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
APA Education Government Relations Office Team
Nina Gail Levitt, Ed.D. l Associate Executive Director
Jennifer Beard Smulson l Sr. Legislative & Federal Affairs Officer
Whitney B. Warrick, J.D.| Legislative & Federal Affairs Associate
Arielle Eiser| Legislative Assistant
Sheila Lane Forsyth | APA Education GRO Grassroots Consultant
