Advocacy

Effective advocacy is essential, now more than ever. My unwavering focus on advocating for health equity comes from my experience serving an underserved patient population in a politically challenging state. I bring to my advocacy work an understanding of both the impact of social drivers of health and how to frame messaging for a variety of audiences. Some areas of my expertise include:

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Obesity as a significant health condition that deserves comprehensive insurance coverage for interdisciplinary care

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Technology impacts, risks and interventions for youth, including social media, AI chatbots, and gaming

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Protecting telehealth access for equitable care, particularly for elders, rural areas, and low-income communities

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Responding to negative legislation that reduces access and limits professional practice

I Support Professional and Consumer Groups

I train and support healthcare professionals and consumer groups to be more effective advocates at the micro and macro levels. Healthcare professionals have the education, skills, and experiences to be effective with lawmakers and other stakeholders, but are often unsure of their capacity. Consumers and families are experts on the experience of health conditions, and can advocate effectively on the policies needed to support them. With the right training and support, these groups can be effective advocates for vital funding and policy change.

Selected Advocacy Engagements and Accomplishments

Chair of the Legislative Committee and Federal Advocacy Coordinator for the Missouri Psychological Association (MOPA). Registered lobbyist in Missouri.

Spearheaded audio-only telehealth advocacy legislation in Missouri, achieving bipartisan passage into law in 2025. This included mobilizing stakeholders, working in coalition, communicating with sponsors, organizing and submitting written and oral testimony.
Organized MOPA annual Legislative Day, in coalition with other behavioral health professions, with pre-event training, leading a Capitol rally, and planning legislator visits to support key bills by constituent groups.
Federal advocacy representing psychologists on Capitol Hill, including leading delegations to Congressional offices, and gaining support for federal legislation.

Advocacy Partner for the Society of Pediatric Psychology with the American Psychological Association.

Implemented campaigns, in coordination with the Children’s Hospital Association and children’s hospitals, to support renewed federal funding of Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME).

Introduced state legislation for commercial insurance coverage of comprehensive pediatric obesity treatment. This included mobilizing stakeholders at the state and national levels, drafting bill language, securing sponsorship, and planning strategy.

More Work