Your Advocacy Voice Is More Important Than Ever!

Throughout 2018, APAPAC battled an unrelenting wave of challenges that threatened our patients and our profession. Thanks to our APAPAC members and advocates, APA was able to stand firm with our allies in Congress and successfully protect our patients and our profession from the brunt of this storm while also helping impact the outcome of the midterm elections.

APAPAC member contributions helped to ensure that APAPAC was able to support 133 candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, with 93 percent of our PAC-supported champions returning in the 116th Congress. APAPAC is already gearing up to help educate the 111 new members of Congress on issues impacting psychiatry and our patients, as well as looking ahead to how psychiatry can have the biggest impact on the 2020 election cycle when 88 percent of all congressional seats across the country will be up for reelection.

Want to join us? Together, we can work to shape the future of our mental health care system. Start by visiting the Advocacy/APAPAC booths in the Moscone Center, where you can learn more about all of the advocacy opportunities APA offers to empower you to be a leader in advocacy. Take the first step by sending letters to your members of Congress at the booth and join APAPAC to support the effort to educate congressional candidates about mental health issues.

Next, join us in celebrating our legislative successes and the hard work of APA’s advocates at the APAPAC reception on Sunday, May 19, from 9 p.m. to 11 pm. APAPAC contributors who have donated at least $250 ($125 for resident-fellow members) are invited to the APAPAC reception; all others are invited to purchase tickets at the Advocacy/APAPAC booths: $100 for general members, $50 for early career psychiatrists, and $25 for resident-fellow members. The reception will be held at the Press Club, known as the most authentic wine-tasting venue in San Francisco. ■