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Back to Advocacy & News
Racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities often suffer from poor mental health outcomes due to multiple factors, such as inaccessibility of high-quality mental health care services, cultural stigma surrounding mental health care, and discrimination. APA is committed to ending disparities in mental health care by advocating policies that address the needs of evolving, diverse, underrepresented and underserved patient populations.
The resources below include the relevant press releases and advocacy resources to help psychiatrists advocate for the needs of minority and underserved populations.
Letter | MAY 5 | Racial Disparities
APA and Mental Health Liaison Group Push for Congress to Re-Pass Mental Health Bills Passed by the House in 2020
Letter | APR 16 | Women's Health
APA Joins Maternal Advocacy Groups in Support of Protecting Moms Who Served Act
Letter | APR 16
APA Thanks Senator Hirono for Introducing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
Letter | APR 8 | LGBTQ+
APA Urges Senate Leadership Pass the Equality Act
Letter | MAR 31
APA and HPNEC Call for Funding for HRSA Title VII and VIII Workforce Development Programs
Letter | MAR 24 | Women's Health
APA Urges Congress to Increase Funding the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant
Letter | FEB 5 | Women's Health
APA and Other Organizations Urge Approval of Section 1115 to Extend Postpartum Coverage for Medicaid Recipients
Letter | FEB 17
APA and Group of 6 Express Support to Biden's Executive Order on Racial Equity and COVID-19
Letter | MAR 9 | Women's Health
APA Joins Other Frontline Physician Organizations in Support of Reps. Underwood and Adams Momnibus Package
Letter | DEC 4 | Women's Health
APA joins Maternal Health Community Requesting Congress Expedite Passage of Bipartisan Maternal Health Legislation
Letter | NOV 9 | Immigration
APA Expresses Strong Concern on Newly Implemented H1-B Visa Rules
Letter | OCT 26 | Immigration
APA and District Branches Oppose Proposed Changes to J-1 Visas
Letter | OCT 16 | Racial Disparities
APA Responds to Ways and Means Committee RFI on Misuse of Race Data
Letter | MAY 14 | Immigration
APA and Provider Groups Reiterate Opposition to Family Separation at the Border During COVID-19
Press Release | MAY 14 | Immigration
America's Frontline Physicians Call For Immigration Protections For International Medical Graduate Physicians (IMGs) During COVID-19 Pandemic
Letter | MAY 4 | Immigration
APA and Health Professions Groups Advocate for DACA Protections During COVID-19
Letter | MAY 1 | Immigration
APA Leads Medical Society Letter Urging Administration to Extend Visas, Expedite Approvals for International Medical Graduates
Letter | APR 21 | Racial Disparities
APA Urges HHS to Collect Data on COVID-19's Impact on Vulnerable Populations
Letter | APR 20 | Racial Disparities
APA Joins Multisociety Letter Against Stigmatization of Asian American Culture During COVID-19
Press Release | APR 8 | Racial Disparities
APA Statement on COVID-19 and Health Disparities
Letter | APR 3 | Women's Health
APA and Provider Groups Respond to Senate Finance Committee RFI on Maternal Health
Psych News | MAR 3
APA to Award Pierce Human Rights Prize to Innovative Journalism Enterprise
Letter | FEB 21 | Women's Health
APA Responds to NIH's Proposed Research Initiative to Decrease Maternal Mortality
Psych News | FEB 20
Minority, Underrepresented Members Connect Through Caucuses
Letter | FEB 25 | Immigration
APA and NAMI Respond to Recent Reports of Illegal and Unethical Sharing of Unaccompanied Minors' Mental Health Information
Press Release | FEB 18
APA Condemns Unethical Sharing of Therapist Records in Immigration Cases
Press Release | JAN 29 | Immigration
Top Organizations Encourage Appeals Court to Rule Against Trump Administration, End Detention of Migrant Children
Letter | NOV 27
APA Offers Solutions to House Committee on Expanding Mental Health Care to Rural and Underserved Areas
Press Release | NOV 20
APA Urges Action to End Disparities in Mental Health Coverage
Psych News | OCT 25 | Women's Health
APA Board Forms Committee on Women
Press Release | SEPT 3 | Immigration
Nation's Top Child-Focused Organizations Strongly Urge California Federal Court to Oppose Trump Administration's Move to End Flores Settlement
Press Release | AUG 28 | Immigration
Joint Statement of America's Frontline Physicians Opposing Final Rule Rolling Back Protections in Flores Settlement Agreement
Press Release | AUG 23 | Immigration
APA Statement on the Administration's Decision to End the Flores Settlement Agreement
Psych News | AUG 20
When Diversity Is Not Enough
Press Release | AUG 13 | Immigration
Joint Statement of America's Frontline Physicians Opposing Public Charge Final Rule
Psych News | AUG 12
IMGs Have Played Major Role in Advancing Patient Care, Research, and Education
Letter | AUG 9
APA Submits Comments on HHS's Proposed Rule, Nondiscrimination in Health and Health Education Programs or Activities
Letter | JUL 23 | Immigration
APA Letter to Speaker Pelosi Supporting the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in CBP Custody Act
Press Release | JUL 9 | Immigration
APA Calls on Administration to Provide Humane Care for Asylum Seekers at U.S. Border
Psych News | JUN 13 | LGBTQ+
Fryer Award Winner Urges Continued Advocacy for LGBTQ Community
Coalition Letter | MAY 24 | LGBTQ+
APA Joins Letter to HHS Secretary Azar Concerning Plans to Weaken Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQ Individuals Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act
Psych News | MAY 14
'Black Men in Psychiatry Early Pipeline Program' Highlights Mentoring, Relationship Building
Letter | MAY 13 | Immigration
APA Letter to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, re: Comments on Immigration Detention Centers and Treatment of Immigrants
Press Release | APR 9 | LGBTQ+
APA Concerned About Transgender Military Ban
Letter | MAR 28 | LGBTQ+
APA Supports H.Res. 124 to Maintain Inclusive Policy in U.S. Armed Forces
Blog Article | MAR 27
New Partnership to Focus on Gender Equity, Wellness and Leadership Issues Faced by Women Physicians
Transcript | FEB 27 | Immigration
APA President Altha J. Stewart, M.D.'s Testimony Before U.S. House Appropriations Committee, "Reviewing the Administration's Unaccompanied Children Program..."
Psych News | JAN 25
APA Among Top Medical Societies in Leadership Gender Equity
Press Release | JAN 23 | LGBTQ+
APA Expresses Great Disappointment in the Supreme Court Decision to Lift the Injunctions on the Administration's Ban on Transgender Servicemembers
Coalition Letter | DEC 18 | Immigration
APA Joins Letter to DHS Calling for Investigation into Conditions of Those in CBP and ICE Custody
Letter | DEC 7 | Immigration
APA Response to DHS Proposed Rule Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds
Psych News | DEC 4
APA Collaborates to Promote Mental Health in Appalachia
Letter | NOV 6 | Immigration
APA Submits Comments to DHS on Propose Flores Rule
Press Release | OCT 31
APA Condemns Shooting at Pittsburgh Synagogue, Reiterates Impact of Violence on Mental Health
Press Release | OCT 19 | LGBTQ+
APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin Honored During LGBT History Month
Press Release | OCT 1
APA Reacts to Media Coverage of Sexual Trauma, Calls for Survivors to Seek Mental Health Assistance
Coalition Letter | SEP 14 | Immigration
APA Joins Letter to Senate Committee on Homeland Security Opposing Family Detention Expansion
Letter | SEP 7 | LGBTQ+
APA Comments on Veteran Affairs' RFI on Removal of Gender Alterations from Medical Benefits Package
Press Release | JUL 25
APA Awarded $7.1 Million Grant for Minority Fellowship Program
Press Release | JUL 24 | Immigration
APA Joins Health Care Community in Calling on Congress to Hold Hearings on Treatment of Children Separated From Parents at Border
Letter | JUL 24
Senate Congressional Oversight Request Letter
Letter| JUL 24
House Congressional Oversight Request Letter
APA Blog | JUL 23 | Immigration
How Psychiatrists Can Help Immigrant Families
Press Release | JUL 16 | Women's Health
Top X Reasons Why America's Women's Health Providers Oppose Restrictions to Title X
Coalition Letter | JUN 30 | Immigration
APA Joins Letter to DOJ, HHS and DHS Opposing Family Separation
Press Release | MAY 30 | Immigration
APA Statement Opposing Separation of Children from Parents at the Border
Coalition Letter | MAY 30
Joint Letter to USCIS Concerning Delays in H-1B Visa Processing for Non-U.S. International Medical School Graduates
Psych News | MAY 29
'Conversations on Diversity' Session Tackles Sensitive Clinical Scenarios
Press Release | MAY 10
Dr. Altha Stewart Takes Office as APA President, the First African-American to Lead the Organization
Press Release | MAY 7 | Women's Health
Study Shows Continued Use of Certain Antipsychotics During Pregnancy May Increase Risk of Gestational Diabetes
Press Release | MAY 6
New Research: African-American Clergy's Attitude Toward Professional Mental Health Services
Press Release | APR 4
APA CEO Reacts to Death of Foreign Service Officer Whose Organization Trained Thousands of Black Health Officials in South Africa
Letter | MAR 27 | LGBTQ+
APA Comments on Religious Rights Proposed Rule
Press Release | MAR 24 | Immigration
APA Reiterates Its Strong Opposition to Ban of Transgender Americans from Serving in U.S. Military
Coalition Letter | FEB 20 | LGBTQ+
APA Joins Letter to HHS Concerning LGBTQ Patients and the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the HHS Office for Civil Rights
Press Release | JAN 30 | Women's Health
APA and AAAP: Pregnant Women with Substance Use Disorders Need Treatment, Not Incarceration
Press Release | JAN 23
APA Applauds CHIP Reauthorization, Providing Continued Access to Health Care for Millions of Low-Income Children and Youth
View APA official policy statements related to diversity and health equity issues by searching in the Policy Finder.
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