Advocacy Priorities

Division 19 of the American Psychological Association

Please see our advocacy priorities for APA to promote psychology within and outside the DoD/VA for the Advocacy Coordinating Committee.

Service Members, DoD Employees, and Veterans Pay and Benefits

  • Advocate for military psychologist with appropriate incentives and bonus pay
  • Improve TRICARE benefits
  • Sustain Appropriate Psychology Workforce (in DHA)
  • Advocate for Veterans Retirement Benefits

Support Increased Scientific Funding for Treatment and Research in Evidence-Based Approaches

  • Military Suicide Prevention (continued on second page)
  • Trauma and Co-morbid Conditions
  • Tele-health (PSYPACT) for all States to Provide Greater Access to National Guard
  • Diverse Populations that meet Military Standards to be in the Military (Most Recent Support for Transgender Service Members)
  • Technologies and Virtual Reality Treatment Formats
  • Support Prescribing in all States to Assure Greater Treatment Capacity for National Guard

Support Increased Funding for Practice and DoD Scientific Research Funding for Applied Psychology Practice, Necessary Research, and Research Offering innovation in Evidence Based Approaches

  • Personnel Assessment, Selection, Leadership, and Coaching Performance Management
  • National Security and Operational Psychology Consultation in Cyber Operations such as Avatar Development, Strategic Messaging, and Risk and Trauma Assessment
  • Psychological Support to Counter-Terrorism Operations to Include Support to Intelligence Community, Personnel Assessment and Selection for Counter-terrorism Personnel, and Indirect Assessments of Terrorists
  • Support for Individual Well-being, Technologies, and Psychological Health in the DoD Workplace
  • Ensure that all Federal Contracts for Coaching are Open to Psychologist

Veteran and Family Transition

  • Enhanced Employer Incentives for those offering Veterans-Supportive Work Environment Training and Jobs by Non-Veteran Employees for both veterans and spouses.
  • Expanded Childcare Options to include Early/Late Extended Hour Care, weekend care.
  • Removal of barriers for Data sharing between DoD and VA and Increased Funding of Research focused on Transitioning Service Members (SM) and Dependents that combines data from DoD Databases with VA data.
  • Expanded facilitation of VA Medical Physical prior to Service Member’s Departure from Military Provide Assistance and Time to ensure SM has Completed Requirements to Access Care through VA Prior to Departure from Service.

Military Suicide Prevention Continued

  1. Funding for community based primary prevention. Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) was previously funded to conduct or award grants for such research but has lost funding over the past few years.
  2. Funding for a DoD Behavioral Health Research Facilitation Office or positions with that mission within PHCOE. Although the DoD serves as grant sponsor (CDMRP, MOMRP, MSRC), PIs have to negotiate with MTFs and installations on their own and with no coordination to deconflict other funded efforts. This creates significant barriers to conducting research on behalf of DoD personnel.
  3. Funding to expand Army Public Health Center suicide prevention support to all Services for suicide surveillance and epidemiological analytics beyond the DoDSER.
  4. Establish the Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) as a recurring mission program vice CDMRP grant. Future MSRC funding is uncertain and viewed as discretionary due to configuration as a research grant rather than a standing mission requirement.
  5. Establish requirement for reportable clinical outcome metrics specific for suicide interventions.