The Power of Speaking up | APA 2025 #psychology #leadership #shorts
Why It Matters
The anecdote underscores that frontline experts can directly influence policy and public understanding, turning modest participation into outsized impact—critical for shaping responses to public-health crises. Encouraging professionals to engage publicly strengthens evidence-based policymaking.
Summary
As a graduate student intern at the APA during the early days of the AIDS crisis, the speaker attended a high-profile meeting and nervously delivered prepared talking points urging pre-test counseling because a diagnosis then often meant death. Their brief comments were quoted in the APA newsletter, a moment they say transformed their view of advocacy by showing how practitioner input can reach policymakers. The experience taught them that even small, public interventions by professionals can shape policy discussions. They now urge others in the field to speak up and share expertise.
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...