by Jennifer Porter Gore
Just four years after apologizing for its role in perpetuating racism, the American Psychological Association — which sets standards for professional training programs in mental health — has suspended its requirement that postgraduate institutions demonstrate a commitment to diversity in recruitment and hiring.
The change comes in the wake of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that threatens federal funding for institutions with policies or programs that encourage racial diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Aaron Joyce, senior director of accreditation for the APA, said in a statement that the shift, announced in late March, acknowledges a political reality: keeping the requirement means risking an existential confrontation with the White House.
“The Commission [on accreditation] does not want to put programs in jeopardy of not existing because of a conflict between institutional guidelines and accreditation standards,” he told The New York Times.
But the decision undermines long-term attempts to diversify a field that even the APA’s data show remains disproportionately white, and bridge the mental-health accessibility gap between Black and white patients. In 2023, nearly 8 in 10 active U.S. psychologists were white, compared to just 5.5% who were Black. Studies also show mental health outcomes improve when a patient has a caregiver of the same race.
Reactions to the suspension have been swift and sharp.
Dr. Kevin Cokley, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, said the decision,“is really unconscionable, given what we know of the importance of having diverse mental health providers.”
Angela R. Strong, a counselor specializing in resilience and mental health, agrees, calling the decision “deeply troubling. This isn’t just about checking boxes — it’s about saving lives.”
Eliminating the diversity training requirements “doesn’t just impact academic programs — it ripples through communities, affecting generations to come,” says Strong. “We need more minority mental health professionals who can serve as both healers and beacons of hope, showing that recovery isn’t just possible — it’s achievable.”
Data bears this out. Roughly 20% of U.S. adults deal with mental illness each year. Black Americans face significant barriers to accessing mental health care, and a 2023 survey found only 39% of Black adults with mental health issues reported receiving services in the previous three years, compared to 50% of whites.
Dr. Patrice Berry, a clinical psychologist in Virginia, said it is “very discouraging that the APA has decided to step away from diversity in recruitment and hiring.” Still, she says, the decision is “understandable in this current political climate.”
Still, the APA’s decision to drop DEI standards stands in stark contrast to the resolution it adopted four years ago, apologizing for its role in perpetuating racism in the U.S. It also acknowledged disparities in treatment between Black and white mental-health patients and said racism is “the key driver of health inequities.”
The organization identified diversity requirements as an important way to recruit minority clinicians and reduce disparities in access to care. It pledged to support “comprehensive evaluation of early psychology exposure, recruitment, admission, and retention processes to identify ways to effectively recruit, admit, and retain students of color at all levels, from high school through postdoctoral training.”
Because legal battles over Trump’s executive order targeting DEI are ongoing, the APA has framed the suspension of its diversity requirements as a temporary measure. Still, many fear it may signal a long-term retreat from DEI commitments in mental health education.
“The question isn’t whether diversity in mental health matters,” Strong says. “The question is: How many more people will have to suffer before we acknowledge that representation isn’t optional — it’s essential?”
Source: Seattle Medium
