The American Psychological Association’s advocacy priorities are grounded in psychological science and a commitment to promoting research funding and infrastructure, expanding access to behavioral health care, advancing health equity for underserved populations, promoting wellbeing across the lifespan, and protecting human rights. Guided by a biennial membership survey, APA’s strategic priorities, and APA Council Policy, APA focuses on evidence-based policies, robust federal and state advocacy, and coalition partnerships to advance psychology’s impact.
Psychological research, infrastructure, and regulatory environment
Funding and promotion of basic, clinical, and applied psychological research
Advocate for increased funding for basic, clinical, and applied psychological research within key agencies, foundations, and funding sources (e.g., National Institutes of Health [NIH], National Science Foundation [NSF], Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], Department of Defense [DoD], Department of Education [Ed], Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]).
Issues that advance this priority include: Climate Change; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Technology and Behavior at Work; Military and Veterans; Suicide Prevention.
Science infrastructure and regulatory environment
Promote ethical, peer-reviewed, human and non-human animal forms of psychological and interdisciplinary research.
Issues that advance this priority include: Criminal Justice and Policing; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Promoting and Defending Research.
Technology and Behavior at Work
Advance the science and practice of applied psychology in managing the significant impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and other technologies on workers, mentoring relationships, and teams. Amplify the increasingly critical role that technology plays across the span of work, including recruitment and hiring, worker mental health and well-being, formal and informal training, team safety and effectiveness, and organizational culture.
Issues that advance this priority include: Technology and Behavior at Work.
Practice of psychology and psychology workforce
Access to health services, including mental and behavioral health services
Ensure affordable and equitable access to evidence-based health and behavioral health services, including services furnished via telehealth, within public and private healthcare delivery systems. Promote changes in public and private health insurance coverage and reimbursement policies and practices to facilitate psychologists’ participation in these programs. Advance integrated, team-based care by expanding the role of psychologists within interprofessional healthcare settings, such as primary care, pediatric, geriatric, and specialty medical settings, to improve coordination, quality, and outcomes. Advocate for sustainable funding models, payment structures, and training pathways that enable psychologists to serve effectively in integrated care teams. Strengthen enforcement of mental health parity laws. Protect and strengthen public health insurance and safety net programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), subsidies for purchase of private insurance coverage child-care, family leave, nutritional assistance, economic stability, and housing programs. Ensure that the development and implementation of new healthcare provider payment models and new technological innovations promote increased access to behavioral health services.
Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Children, Youth, and Families; Health Equity; Immigration; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Military and Veterans; Pre-K to 12 Education; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Rural and Frontier Communities; Suicide Prevention; Substance Use Disorders; Telehealth.
Psychology workforce development across the lifespan
Improve equitable access to graduate study for psychology, including by strengthening student financial aid, loan repayment, and loan forgiveness programs. Secure federal funding for psychology workforce training programs, including accredited internships and post-doctoral fellowships, that expand interprofessional training opportunities working with underserved populations. Enhance training and leadership skills of the next generation of psychologists, engage students, and increase accessibility of equitable training opportunities and licensure preparation for all psychology trainees.
Issues that advance this priority include: Higher Education; Rural and Frontier Communities; Workforce Development.
Reimbursement and scope of practice
Ensure appropriate reimbursement for the full range of psychologists’ and trainee services, including but not limited to psychotherapy, health and behavior assessment and intervention, and neuropsychological and psychological testing and assessments, both in-person and via telehealth. Leverage federal with state efforts promoting licensure, credentialing, distinguishing the value of the doctoral degree, and achieving rate reimbursement at parity with other doctoral providers. Promote psychologists in Medicare, Medicaid, and private sector health programs, including ensuring psychologists have the ability to provide services to the full scope of their licensure, and supporting VA recruitment and retention of psychologists.
Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Telehealth.
Training and Practice in Applied Psychology
Expand training and practice opportunities for applied psychologists in public and private sectors in areas such as human performance, motivation, leadership and personnel assessment (e.g., employment testing for hiring and training), conflict resolution, and civic engagement. Promote public recognition of the value added by applied psychologists in these endeavors across multiple settings, including those that are outside of where psychologists are commonly employed.
Issues that advance this priority include: Workforce Development; Substance Use Disorders, Climate Change, and Technology and Behavior at Work
Health equity and social justice
Health equity for underserved and vulnerable populations
Promote health equity and access to culturally competent care for diverse populations by reducing health disparities attributed to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, geography, disability, age, socioeconomic status and poverty, and underserved and vulnerable populations, including tribal communities, children, immigrants, veterans, and individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Climate Change; Health Equity; Immigration; Medicare Reimbursement and Access; Mental Health Parity; Military and Veterans; Rural and Frontier Communities; Substance Use Disorders; Telehealth.
Criminal justice
Use psychological research to advance criminal justice reform, improve police-community relations, promote secure firearms storage and lethal means safety strategies, and to address the disparate impact of mass incarceration on marginalized communities.
Issues that advance this priority include: Children, Youth, and Families; Criminal Justice and Policing; Gun Violence Prevention.
Human rights and racial equity
Promote human rights and combat discrimination in all forms and settings, including education, healthcare, and the workplace. Oppose efforts to curtail the rights of women, sexual and gender minorities, individuals with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and other marginalized populations. Continue advocacy around federal immigration policies related to humane treatment of immigrants and refugees.
Issues that advance this priority include: Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Health Equity; Immigration; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Substance Use Disorders.
Population health
Health promotion and prevention throughout lifespan and settings
Support the psychological wellbeing and healthy development of children and adults, including access to developmentally appropriate mental health services and population-based prevention and health promotion programs across the lifespan and settings.
Issues that advance this priority include: Affordable Health Care Access; Climate Change; Health Equity; Immigration; Military and Veterans; Rural and Frontier Communities; Telehealth.
Application of psychological science to Pre-K, K-12, and higher education
Support equitable pathways for all students across the education continuum, from birth through higher education, including through childcare services and universal pre-K programs; school-based mental health programs; teacher preparation and access to well-rounded education; psychology as a STEM discipline; and APA high school psychology curricula standards.
Issues that advance this priority include: Higher Education; Pre-K to 12 Education; Workforce Development.
Substance use disorders and addictions
Advocate for policies to increase access to evidence-based practices for the prevention and treatment of and recovery from substance use disorders and addictions. Promote the expertise of psychologists in the development and implementation of non-pharmacological interventions for pain management and addictions (e.g., contingency management).
Issues that advance this priority include: Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Mental Health Parity; Substance Use Disorders.
Violence and suicide prevention
Utilize psychological research to reduce suicide and interpersonal violence, including gun violence. Increase school safety and educate the public, policymakers, and law enforcement about non-violent conflict resolution, impact of trauma exposure, and the need for trauma-informed interventions.
Issues that advance this priority include: Children, Youth, and Families; Criminal Justice and Policing; Federal Funding for Scientific Research; Gun Violence Prevention; Military and Veterans; Race, Ethnicity, and Religion; Suicide Prevention.
Environmental Sustainability
Educate the public and apply psychological research to combat climate change and address its impacts on mental health and well-being, and its inequitable harms to vulnerable, marginalized communities. Support the application of psychological science to individual, community, and societal responses to climate change and environmental sustainability, and the ability of psychologists to engage effectively in these efforts.
Issues that advance this priority include: Climate Change.