As part of professional practice, it is imperative that child and adolescent psychiatrists engage federal and state legislators on the important issues that directly address the needs of children with mental illness. AACAP provides resources for members to use as they communicate with policymakers about issues related to child and adolescent psychiatry and children's mental health.

Choose a Topic

Children at the Border

• AACAP Resource Library on Youth at the Border

Children's Mental Health

• AACAP/APA Joint Letter to HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (February 19, 2025)
• AACAP Support Letter for FASD Respect Act (December 9, 2024)
• AACAP Statement for the Record to Senate Finance Committee on Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: Examining Failures and Evaluating Solutions (June 13, 2024)
• AACAP Response to House RFI on Addressing Rural Healthcare (October 5, 2023)
• AACAP Response to Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee’s Hearing Examining Proposals that Provide Access to Care for Patients and Support Research for Rare Diseases (June 20, 2023)
• Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 and Mental Health Reform
• AACAP Letter to Congress on specific year-end priorities (December 8, 2022)
• Pediatricians, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Children’s Hospitals Declare National Emergency in Children's Mental Health
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Coalition Letter to Congress.  AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health  (November 14, 2022)
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Coalition Letter to the President.  AAP-AACAP-CHA Declaration of a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health – One Year Later (October 13, 2022)
  • AACAP, AAP, and CHA call on policymakers at all levels of government to act swiftly to address mental health crisis (October 19, 2021)
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) Statement for the Record U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (February 1, 2022) 
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) Statement for the Record U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (February 8, 2022) 
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Coalition Statement for the Record U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part I-An Advisory and Call to Action (February 8, 2022)
• AACAP Comments to Senate Finance Committee on Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents
• Pediatricians, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Children’s Hospitals Declare National Emergency in Children's Mental Health
• AACAP Fact Sheet: Improving Access to Mental Health: Reducing Mental Health Stigma

Collaboration with Primary Care

Safe and effective mental and physical health care requires collaboration and communication between child and adolescent psychiatrists and other medical professionals. AACAP provides materials to assist clinicians and policy makers interested in developing collaborative care models. Click here to learn more.

• AACAP Statement on the Record on Increasing Health Care Efficiency in Primary Care (March 4, 2024)
• AACAP, Along with Seventeen Organizations, Express Support for the Collaborate in an Orderly and Cohesive Manner (COCM) Act Which Would Bolster Innovative Model of Provision of Mental Health Care

Firearms

• AACAP Advocacy Toolkit: Counseling Patients about Firearms (member log-in required)
• AACAP Facts for Families: Children and Firearms
• Policy Statement: Children and Guns (updated June 2016)
• Children's Mental Health Fact Sheet: Improving Lives, Avoiding Tragedies
• Sample letter to legislators

Health Care Reform

• How the Healthcare Reform Law Impacts Your Practice and Training Programs
• How the Healthcare Reform Law Impacts Your Patients
• Implementation Timeline for the Healthcare Reform Law
• ACOS and CAPS Preparing for the impact of Health Care Reform
• State Health Insurance Exchange Toolkit
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • State Chart
  • Resource List
  • State Insurance Department Leaders

Health Information Technology

• AACAP Response to Congress' Framework for the Future of AI (September 22, 2023)
• 21st Century Cures Act Introduction and FAQs for Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
• AACAP’s HIT Resources

Juvenile Justice

• Health Group Statement of Support for Instituting a Minimum Age of Jurisdiction for Juvenile Justice Involvement
• JAACAP Commentary on creating a national minimum age for juvenile justice jurisdiction Addressing Child Mental Health by Creating a National Minimum Age for Juvenile Justice Jurisdiction - Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (jaacap.org).
• National Juvenile Justice Network toolkit for raising the minimum age of jurisdiction
• National Governor's Association brief on Age Boundaries in Juvenile Justice Systems that recognizes raising the minimum age as an emerging trend (Aug 2021)
• AACAP Policy Statement: Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court System
• AACAP Policy Statement on Transgender Youth in Juvenile Justice and other Correctional Systems
• AACAP Policy Statement on Mandatory Shackling in Juvenile Court Systems
• AACAP Policy Statement on Direct File of Juveniles
• AACAP Policy Statement: Interviewing and Interrogating Juvenile Suspects
• AACAP Policy Statement: Solitary Confinement of Juvenile Offenders
• AACAP Policy Statement: Juvenile Life Without Parole: Review of Sentences
• AACAP Policy Statement: Life Without Parole for Juvenile Offenders
• Recommendations for Juvenile Justice Reform

Kids Online Safety

• AACAP’s Policy Statement on the Impact of Social Media on Youth Mental Health (2023)
• Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health
• HHS/SAMHSA’s Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry

LGBTQ Issues

• AACAP Policy Statement on Access to Gender Affirming Care (June 2024)
• AACAP Statement Opposing Actions in Texas Threatening the Health, Mental Health and Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth and Their Families (March 1, 2022)
• AACAP Statement Responding to Efforts to Ban Evidence-Based Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth
• Medical societies respond to state bills harming transgender youth:
• American Academy of Pediatrics speaks out against bills harming transgender youth
• Endocrine Society urges policymakers to follow science on transgender care and see transgender advocacy at the state level
• Pediatric Endocrine Society opposes bills that harm transgender youth
• Major Health, Education, and Child Welfare Organizations Oppose Anti-LGBTQ State-Based Legislation  (Updated February 2022)
• AACAP Policy Statement: Conversion Therapy
• Conversion Therapy Issue Brief
• Prohibiting Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Youth
  UCLA Williams Institute finds 45,000 youth stand to lose gender-affirming care in Arkansas and the nine state with active legislation banning such care at the time of writing (April 2021). 

Marijuana Legalization

• AACAP Provides Comments to DEA on Proposal to Reschedule Marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III (July, 2024)
• AACAP CBD Request For Information from the FDA on Regulation (August 18, 2023)
• AACAP Policy Statement: Marijuana Legalization
• AACAP Policy Statement: Use of Medical Marijuana in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder for Core Autism Symptoms
• U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain

Mental Health Parity

• AACAP's Mental Health Parity Toolkit
  • See also Medical Necessity Criteria
• Support Letter for Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act Submitted by the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) to the Senate Committee on Finance (November 21, 2023)

Mental Health Reform

• AACAP Response to RFI on Cures 2.0 Act 
• H.R. 34 - The 21st Century Cures Act: Summary and How It Impacts CAPs

Medical Necessity Criteria

• AACAP Letter to Virginia Governor Supporting Medical Necessity Criteria Legislation (March 6, 2025)
• New Opportunities to Achieve Mental Health Parity
• See also Mental Health Parity Toolkit

Prevention and Early Intervention

• AACAP Fact Sheet: Cost Effectiveness of Prevention and Early Intervention
• AACAP Policy Statement: Mental Health Screening in Primary Care

Prior Authorization

• Prior Authorization Reform Resources - From the American Medical Association, including current state law summaries, model legislation, and survey data on the burden of prior authorization.
• Prior Authorization and Utilization Management Reform Principles - AACAP, and a workgroup of 16 state and national organizations developed best practices for prior authorization and other utilization management requirements. This document was co-signed by numerous other organizations, including regional organizations of child and adolescent psychiatry.
• AACAP Policy Statement: Prior Authorization for Psychopharmacology

Protecting Patient's Access to Care

• Protect Medicaid for People With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (January 2025)

Psychotropic Medications and Children

• Joint Statement on Federal Concerns About Psychotropic Medication Safety (March 21, 2025)
• Talking Points on Psychotropic Medications and Children
• AACAP Policy Statement: Pharmaceutical Benefit Management and the Use of Psychotropic Medication for Children and Adolescents
• AACAP Policy Statement: Prescribing Psychoactive Medication for Children and Adolescents
• AACAP Policy Statement: Restrictions on the Prescribing Practices of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists by Managed Care Formularies
• AACAP Facts for Families: Psychiatric Medication For Children And Adolescents Part I-How Medications Are Used
• AACAP Facts for Families: Psychiatric Medication For Children And Adolescents: Part II - Types Of Medications
• Guide for Community Child Serving Agencies on Psychothropic Medications for Children and Adolescents

School-Based Mental Health

• AACAP Statement on Safely Reopening Schools
• Increasing Mental Health Services for Students in Schools, K-12 One-Pager
• Support Letter for MH Services in Schools
• AACAP Fact Sheet: Bullying
• AACAP Policy Statement: Prevention of Bullying Related Morbidity and Mortality

Scope of Practice

• AACAP Advocacy Toolkit: Scope of Practice (member log-in required)

Stimulant Shortage

• Stimulant Shortage Crisis Advocacy Activities
• AACAP Continues Advocacy on Stimulant Medication Shortages (May 2, 2024)
• AACAP Response to House RFI on Drug Shortages (July 7, 2023)
• AACAP and APA Reach Out to FDA About Ongoing Stimulant Shortages (May 1, 2023)
• AACAP and APA Weigh-In with the DEA on Ongoing Stimulant Medication Shortages (March 24, 2023)

Suicide Prevention

• AACAP Fact Sheet: Suicide Prevention
• AACAP Policy Statement: Suicide Prevention

Telepsychiatry

Learn the latest on AACAP's actions to protect access to prescribing controlled substances via telepsychiatry beginning January, 2025.

• AACAP Urges Administration to Safeguard Youth Access to Mental Health Care via Telemedicine
• AACAP Letters Requesting an Extension to Current DEA Telehealth Prescribing Flexibilities (September 10, 2024)
  • White House letter
  • Senate letter
  • U.S. House letter
• AACAP's Telepsychiatry Resources
• Ensuring Medicare Beneficiary Access: A Path to Telehealth Permanency Submitted by Mental Health Liaison Group Telehealth Work Group to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (November 14, 2023)
• AACAP Comments on Soliciting Data on the Impact of Telehealth Initiation of Controlled Substances Under Public Health Emergency (August 30, 2023)
• AACAP Comments on DEA Proposals for Telemedicine Prescribing of Controlled Substances Post-Public Health Emergency (March 29, 2023)
• AACAP Comments on DEA Proposals on Induction of Buprenorphine via Telemedicine Encounter (March 29, 2023)
• Guidelines and Policies What the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency means for telehealth. Find information on the changes in federal regulation most important to AACAP members including DEA flexibilities related to prescribing a controlled substance via telehealth, HIPAA compliance, remote supervision, and more.
• AACAP, other National Physician Organizations Ask Governors and Insurance Commissioners to Continue Telehealth Flexibilities Beyond COVID-19 Pandemic
• For COVID-19 related state and federal legislative and regulatory changes, see Center for Connected Health Policy

Transition Documents

• Policy Recommendations to the 115th Congress and the Trump Administration
• Protect Mental Health Parity

Workforce Shortage

• AACAP Response to Draft Senate Bipartisan GME Proposal (January 31, 2025)
• AACAP Response to Senate Finance Committee on Bipartisan Medicare Graduate Medical Association (GME) Working Group’s Draft Proposal Outline and Questions for Consideration (June 26, 2024)
• AACAP Letter to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (March 20, 2023)
• Loan Relief to Address Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Workforce Shortage One-Pager
• State Workforce Maps
• Support Letter for MH Loan Repayment
• Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Letter
• Behavioral Health Workforce Report - SAMHSA