Making advocacy accessible: 5 learnings from my first congressional briefing

In case you’re like me, the thought of attending a congressional briefing could also be intimidating and complicated. Initially, I anticipated what you would possibly see on C-SPAN – to stroll into a big assembly room stuffed with older, influential authorities representatives questioning folks as they stand in entrance of a microphone. As psychological well being advocates, or future advocates, our voices matter, and attendance at a lot of these boards is crucial for change. Maybe, such as you, the considered one thing so formal was intimidating.

What I skilled, nevertheless, was far much less stoic. In reality, it was the precise reverse of what I used to be anticipating. They even supplied snacks and refreshments.

Briefing fundamentals

Congressional briefings are like mini informational classes crammed with folks from all corners of the nation who share a standard curiosity or concern. The primary objective is to supply insights into a problem by detailing its prevalence and serving to folks perceive that change is important for enchancment. As soon as that data is supplied, contributors can clarify how and why their proposed resolution would profit the larger good.

Not too long ago, Psychological Well being America and our companions organized a congressional briefing to debate the significance of peer assist companies and what’s wanted from Congress to increase entry. You may try the recording right here. For somebody new to psychological well being advocacy or eager to grow to be extra concerned within the legislative facet, listed here are discoveries I made which may assist in your journey.

5 takeaways and ideas

1. In case you’re searching for an answer to a systemic situation, you should present data on why and the way that situation impacts common residents – and provide options.

On the newest briefing, Psychological Well being America gathered a gaggle of consultants in peer assist companies to debate why new options are important to their work and the way others can become involved. Among the many panelists, one supplied direct peer assist companies in underserved communities; the second acquired these companies as a teen and has since devoted their life to making sure different younger folks have that very same entry; the third works for a medical health insurance supplier that reimburses peer assist specialists, rising entry for a lot of people in want; and the fourth panelist shared her expertise with institutionalization and professionals who claimed her analysis would forestall her from residing an on a regular basis life. All 4 consultants supplied in-depth data and residing proof that peer assist companies are efficient and needs to be bodily and financially obtainable nationwide. The knowledge they shared proved to attendees how useful peer assist companies have been to the lives of these they serve and confirmed how straightforward it could be to implement extra peer companies throughout the nation. As a corporation led by the voices of lived expertise, these real-life accounts gave insights into the difficulty. By then offering an answer and tips about how that resolution could be molded and utilized on a bigger scale, policymakers are left with tangible mechanisms to work with.

2. Help from a number of teams and organizations is important.

In case you plan on asking for something from Congress, and even your native or state legislator, you had higher have ample assist from a number of sources. With 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth experiencing a psychological well being situation in any given 12 months, psychological well being will have an effect on everyone both instantly or not directly in some unspecified time in the future of their lives. Having this data makes the case that psychological well being care is a bipartisan situation, which has resulted in overwhelming assist from either side. That assist turns out to be useful when these asks are taken to Congress. Along with bipartisan assist, Psychological Well being America used this chance to assemble like-minded companions and collaborators to tell the briefing. Growing the breadth and depth of the data, together with the various our bodies of illustration, strengthened our asks.

3. “Go away-behinds” present vital data and summaries.

Congressional briefings have a tendency to supply a lot data inside a brief interval, so it’s cheap to imagine a few of that data could also be glossed over or not retained. Staffers, liaisons, and others in attendance might have to relay what they heard to a Congressperson or different employees, and also you wish to ensure they hit the important data. The aim of a leave-behind doc, or one-pager, is to make sure your viewers understands the message and might reference it as soon as the briefing ends. On this explicit briefing, we had six asks that included data on totally different acts, invoice proposals and calls to motion, all combined in with impactful tales of lived experiences from our panelists. Offering attendees with a brief, concise abstract of the focal factors ensures these with the ability and motivation to take motion have the proper data to take action.

4. Invite the best audio system, organizations, and different attendees.

If you’re internet hosting a briefing, or advocacy occasion, getting the phrase out to key people and organizations will go a protracted technique to strengthen your message and enhance the probabilities of asks being put into laws. With psychological well being being a priority for everybody, no matter their political affiliation or demographic profile, it stands to cause that almost all people would wish to see situations enhance. At this briefing session, the invite listing included over 70 organizations who wished to be taught extra about or shared our ardour for peer assist companies. We additionally invited consultants to share their lived expertise: Tiara Springer-Love, a psychological well being advocate from New York; Lauren Foster, a behavioral well being program supervisor at Blue Cross Blue Protect, Minnesota; Vesper Moore, a psychological well being advocate at Kiva Facilities; and Dana Foglesong of the Nationwide Affiliation of Peer Providers. By having panel consultants from numerous corners of the psychological well being world, we might focus on the a number of limitations to implementation and potential options to enhancing entry. The big selection of attendees improved our probabilities of spreading that data all through teams and organizations to garner much more assist. That is essential for objectives like rising funding for analysis and advocating for grants and assist for neighborhood organizations that present peer assist companies.

5. Congressional briefings are an amazing place to community and meet people with related agendas.

If you’re attending a congressional briefing, it’s in all probability as a result of you could have a vested curiosity in the subject material – together with the opposite attendees. Frequent pursuits make it the right alternative to satisfy face-to-face with different individuals who share your ardour and might focus on options. A enterprise card is a should if you happen to plan to increase your skilled contact listing. Moreover, introducing your self to panelists after the session is all the time a good suggestion. In any case, these audio system are consultants of their discipline and have expertise in your space of curiosity.

In the end, my scary notion of congressional briefings at Capitol Hill was shattered, and I’ll attend extra ought to I get the possibility. I arrived feeling anxious and misplaced however left feeling supported and rejuvenated in being part of the answer. I additionally discovered loads regardless of being well-versed within the topics. It helped to listen to accounts of lived experiences and notice that others care about and wish to enhance psychological well being in our nation. Plus, the snacks they supplied had been glorious. In case you get the possibility to attend a congressional, and even state authorities, briefing, take it.

Watch recording of congressional briefing

Makalynn Powell is the Peer and Youth Coverage Fellow at Psychological Well being America.