ADVOCACY TOOLS

Contact Your Legislators
A great way to locate your representatives from both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is to access www.Congress.org under “Capitol Directory.” You may also access www.House.gov and www.Senate.gov for this information. To reach a legislator’s office by phone, you can call the United States Capitol main switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for the appropriate office.

Meeting with Members of Congress and your State lawmaker:

You can often schedule to meet personally with your lawmaker and/or his or her staff to discuss a specific issue related to mental health. Introduce yourself as a mental health advocate who lives in the member’s district.

Below are some tips for meeting with members of Congress or state lawmaker:
Don’t be intimidated! Lawmakers are supposed to work for their constituents, not the other way around.

To request a meeting with your lawmaker, write him/her a letter explaining the anticipated time, date and purpose for your visit. You can also call the member’s office to do this. Identify the bill number you’d like to discuss, if appropriate. Estimate how much time you would like and be flexible

If your lawmaker is not available, welcome the opportunity to meet with a designated staff aide. Concentrate on one issue only. Try to provide a one-page summary of the issue bulleting your key points. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number at the top of your summary.

Know the facts about the issue prior to the meeting. While you don’t need to be an expert on the topic, you must be prepared to discuss how an issue affects you. Be concise and well organized. You will likely have only 15-20 minutes for the meeting.

Communication is a two-way street. Do not lecture. Give the lawmaker or aide time to respond.

Be understanding. Do not expect the legislator to make a commitment to a position before all the facts are known. Do your best to present your side favorably. Be gracious. Do not attack the legislator’s integrity or motives.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, tactfully offer to respond at a later date. Then, follow-up with a reply in a timely manner. This is a great opportunity to initiate a second contact with the lawmaker and/or aide.

Follow up with a thank-you letter. Repeat the key points that were discussed. Send any data or information that you may have promised.

Writing to Lawmakers.

The letter is the most popular choice of communication with a congressional office or state lawmaker. Below are some tips for writing a letter that is as clear, accurate and effective as possible.

Address only one issue in each letter, and if possible, keep the letter to one page.

If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it accordingly.

If you are a constituent, tell them!

If you know your legislator, even casually, include this fact in the first paragraph. For example “I really enjoyed your speech at the University of Tulsa last week.” This may help your letter stand out from the hundreds of letters that legislators receive each week. Have you worked on the lawmaker’s campaign? Let him/her know that as well.

State your reason for writing in the first paragraph. If you know how your legislator stands on an issue, acknowledge this position in your letter.

Be courteous and to the point, and use examples to support your position. Explain how the issue would affect you (or the group you are representing), your family, and the community. Your own personal experience is the best supporting evidence. Mental Health issues impact the entire community. Point out things specific to the lawmaker’s district. For example, is there a teen screen effort? A community mental health center?

Be constructive. If you oppose something, offer a positive alternative. The legislator is looking for solutions.

Do not indicate whether you did or did not vote for the lawmaker and never threaten to withhold a vote in the future based on the outcome of the issue. Do not remind the legislator that you are a taxpayer.

After the vote, regardless of the outcome, be sure to send a note thanking them for considering your position. A word of appreciation will create a favorable atmosphere for future communications.

Be sure the letter is addressed correctly. On the envelope and in the letter's heading, refer to the elected official as "The Honorable." Address the letter and salutation as follows:

For federal elected officials:

• to Members of the US House of Representatives:

The Honorable (full name)______________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative _____________:

• When writing to Members of the US Senate:

The Honorable (full name)_____________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator _______________:

Note: When writing to the Chair of a Committee, it is proper to address them as: Dear Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman; when writing to the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address him/her as: Dear Mr./Ms. Speaker.

• to Members of the State Senate:

The Honorable ________________
Member of the Senate
State Capitol

Dear Senator _______________:

• to Members of the State House of Representatives or assembly:

The Honorable ________________
Member of the House of Representatives
State Capitol

Dear Representative ____________________:

Handling the Legislator’s Response
When the legislator receives your letter, often you will receive a response of the following sort:

Noncommittal
Sounds appreciative and warm, but lacks a clear statement of position or does not discuss the issue, i.e. "I will monitor the situation closely."

Agreement
Usually wholehearted and enthusiastic.

Disagreement
Usually carefully constructed and respectful.

Your follow-up response to this particular letter is what really gets attention. It shows that you are serious about the issue and that you will continue to monitor the legislator's actions. When writing a follow-up letter, use the guidelines provided above, and try to cite local newspaper coverage or other responses that support your point of view.

If you receive a disagreement response from the legislator you may choose to express appreciation for "being forthright in stating your position." You may also ask some questions to weaken their position, such as "Are you aware of?..., Whom did you consult?..., or, Can you back that up? Will you meet with me again to discuss your position?”

If the response you receive is of agreement, you should write a letter reinforcing the position. This could also be a starting point from which you can ask the legislator to take specific actions that support your shared position, whether it be public speaking, contacting the appropriate committee, or some other action. Letting the legislator know that you are spreading the word of his or her support of the position will be appreciated.

If you are writing to a member of Congress, it is wise to send a copy to his or her local office, since this action will help assure that a meaningful response is formulated in Washington.

Communicating By Phone
This method of communication is important when your lawmaker is expected to vote on an issue soon. Many of the strategies outlined in the section on letter writing also apply to telephone calls. Always address the legislator as "Senator", "Representative", or "Congressman"; or "Mr.", "Mrs.", or "Ms." unless he or she is a close friend and you feel comfortable using their first name.

Most likely, your call will be taken by a congressional staff member or aide. Ask to speak to the aide who handles your particular issue. After identifying yourself, tell the aide that you would like to leave a brief message, such as “Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (name of bill – H.R. ____ or S.____).” You may request a written response to your telephone call.

Be candid; the lawmaker recognizes your self-interest and you need not apologize for it.
Be honest. Tell him or her what you think and why. Be brief and to the point. Your time with the lawmaker or aide is limited and you must make the most of it.

If you would like to find out who your elected officials are, Click Here.