|
Identify and contact your elected officials, go to: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home For information on downloading bills from the Colorado State website click here
MAINTAINING A GRASSROOTS NETWORK
The Federal Advocacy Network was created to facilitate the involvement of psychologists around the country in legislative advocacy for the profession. Since its inception, the network has been instrumental in the fight to reshape prevailing political attitudes towards the profession of psychology.
Periodically, the American Psychological Association's Government Relations department will send faxes and e-mail “Action Alerts,” which inform you of impending action on legislation and what actions psychologists should take to convince their legislators to take a pro-psychology position. Action Alerts contain all the information members of CPA's grassroots network will need in contacting the legislators: the issue, the impending legislative action, how psychologists need to respond, and a generic message about the issue which you can use in communicating with your legislators.
Ten letters move mountains! Despite the volume of total letters that go into Congressional offices, relatively few constituent communications are received on most legislative issues. As few as ten letters or calls from psychologists on a specific issue can grab the attention of a Congressional staff and make the voices of psychologists heard in the debate.
Email lists are your friend : Whether it is your own email list of psychologists or your state association listserv, email is a great way to disseminate information quickly and easily. When using email to organize, keep the following points in mind:
- Stay on message – The Government Relations department will supply you with an update and message that you can cut and paste into your own email.
- Avoid overuse – Constant calls for action will reap diminished returns. Reserve calls for action to key moments in the legislative process.
- Short and simple – Keep your messages simple and to the point. Avoid burying your call for action at the bottom of your message.
- Personalize your message – Mention that this is a state or member-specific message right in your title and in your message. People are more likely to take action if they feel that
Attachments and links – One of the best things about using email is the ability to attach information and to link to documents on the web. That way, people who want more information can look up a more detailed analysis, the specific language of a targeted bill, or a relevant news article with the click of a mouse. It also helps keep your messages brief and to the point.
Identify gaps in your network. A member of your state Congressional delegation may be on a key committee or appear on a target list for an important vote. What if there are only five people on your list for that district? What if you have no key contacts in that district?
Be sure to take a look at your list of members by district and your list of key contacts long before a pivotal vote and work to identify and minimize these holes. Remember, the call for grassroots action often comes with little warning, so plan ahead!
Tie in advocacy to other association activities. Conferences and workshops are golden opportunities to make face-to-face contact with members of your network, inform them of Federal legislative issues and ask them to take action. It is also a great time to identify prospective key contacts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The final version of the Psychology Licensing Law in Colorado may be accessed as a .pdf file through the general assembly web site. The bill name is House Bill 1251. http://www.leg.state.co.us Please refer to the DORA website for additional information at http://www.dora.state.co.us/mental-health
|