Making advocacy accessible: 5 learnings from my first congressional briefing

Should 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 these kind of boards is crucial for change. Maybe, such as you, the considered one thing so formal was intimidating.

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

Briefing fundamentals

Congressional briefings are like mini informational periods full of folks from all corners of the nation who share a typical curiosity or concern. The principle purpose 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 offered, members can clarify how and why their proposed answer would profit the higher good.

Just lately, Psychological Well being America and our companions organized a congressional briefing to debate the significance of peer help companies and what’s wanted from Congress to develop entry. You possibly can try the recording right here. For somebody new to psychological well being advocacy or desirous to develop into extra concerned within the legislative facet, listed below are discoveries I made which may assist in your journey.

5 takeaways and ideas

1. Should you’re on the lookout for an answer to a systemic subject, you could present data on why and the way that subject impacts common residents – and provide options.

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

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

Should you plan on asking for something from Congress, and even your native or state legislator, you had higher have ample help 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 straight or not directly in some unspecified time in the future of their lives. Having this information makes the case that psychological well being care is a bipartisan subject, which has resulted in overwhelming help from either side. That help turns out to be useful when these asks are taken to Congress. Along with bipartisan help, 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 varied our bodies of illustration, strengthened our asks.

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

Congressional briefings have a tendency to supply a lot data inside a brief interval, so it’s affordable to imagine a few of that data could also be glossed over or not retained. Staffers, liaisons, and others in attendance might must relay what they heard to a Congressperson or different employees, and also you wish to be certain that they hit the very important data. The aim of a leave-behind doc, or one-pager, is to make sure your viewers understands the message and may reference it as soon as the briefing ends. On this specific 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 right data to take action.

4. Invite the fitting 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 strategy 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 purpose that almost all of us would wish to see situations enhance. At this briefing session, the invite checklist included over 70 organizations who wished to be taught extra about or shared our ardour for peer help companies. We additionally invited specialists 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 Companies. By having panel specialists from varied corners of the psychological well being world, we might talk about the a number of obstacles to implementation and potential options to bettering entry. The big range of attendees improved our probabilities of spreading that data all through teams and organizations to garner much more help. That is essential for targets like growing funding for analysis and advocating for grants and help for neighborhood organizations that present peer help companies.

5. Congressional briefings are an excellent place to community and meet of us 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. Widespread pursuits make it the proper alternative to satisfy face-to-face with different individuals who share your ardour and may talk about options. A enterprise card is a should should you plan to develop your skilled contact checklist. Moreover, introducing your self to panelists after the session is at all times a good suggestion. In any case, these audio system are specialists of their discipline and have expertise in your space of curiosity.

In the end, my horrifying notion of congressional briefings at Capitol Hill was shattered, and I’ll attend extra ought to I get the prospect. I arrived feeling anxious and misplaced however left feeling supported and rejuvenated in being part of the answer. I additionally realized rather a lot 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 offered have been wonderful. Should you get the prospect 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.