“You, Your Experience – Together, Our Voice”

THIS IS NOT A TEST!Preparing for Your Capitol Hill VisitTodd Handler– Member, State and Local Policy Subcommittee

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

WHAT WE’LL COVER

• OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT• ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING• POINTS TO REMEMBER DURING & AFTER

YOUR OFFICE VISIT• Q & A

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

THREE KEY DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THIS VISIT AND OTHER MEETINGS ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION,

EDUCATION & RESEARCH

• LOCATION: CAPITOL HILL• AUDIENCE: MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS

AND/OR THEIR LEGISLATIVE AIDES• PURPOSE: PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVES

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

• NOT A TEST• YOU REQUESTED THE MEETING• NOT EXPECTED TO BE AN EXPERT• ENGAGE THE AIDE• DRAW ON YOUR EXPERIENCE • USE TALKING POINTS• BE PUNCTUAL• BE YOURSELF

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

OVERVIEW OF YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

• YOUR PREPARATION AND MEETING WILL BE AS UNIQUE AS YOUR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE AND REASON FOR ATTENDING THIS FORUM

• THE “TALKING POINTS” ARE THE SAME FOR EVERYONE BUT YOUR WAY OF COMMUNICATING IS IMPORTANT TO PUTTING A FACE ON THE ISSUES AND INITIATIVES

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

FIRST TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER:

• HOW MUCH TIME• HOW MANY DELEGATES ATTENDING

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

• LENGTH OF INTRODUCTION• DEPTH & NUMBER OF ISSUES YOU WILL COVER• WILL HELP DETERMINE FLOW OF CONVERSATION

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

BRIEF MEETING OUTLINE WITH AIDE:

• BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF AFSP, YOUR ROLE & WHY YOU ARE ATTENDING THE FORUM

• HIGHLIGHT & DISCUSS AFSP/SPAN USA PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE BRIEFS

• Q & A

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

ENGAGE AIDE AFTER INTRODUCTION:

• ARE THEY A SURVIVOR OF SUICIDE LOSS OR KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO DIED BY SUIDICE?

• ARE THEY FAMILIAR WITH AFSP/SPAN USA?• HAS MEMBER SUPPORTED PAST SUICIDE PREVENTION

LEGISLATION?• ALL GOOD WAYS TO LEAD INTO DISCUSSION

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

FAMILIAR WITH AFSP & SPAN/USA:• “AFSP IS THE LEADING NATIONAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION EXCLUSIVELY DEDICATED TO UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING SUICIDE.”

• “OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE HAVE BECOME A GLOBAL FORCE IN RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, AND REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE WITH MENTAL DISORDERS AND THOSE IMPACTED BY SUICIDE.”

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

FAMILIAR WITH AFSP & SPAN/USA:• “THE AFSP PUBLIC POLICY OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR

COORDINATING EFFORTS TO EDUCATE PUBLIC OFFICIALS, LEGISLATORS AND NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ABOUT IMPORTANT SUICIDE RESEARCH AND PREVENTION INITIATIVES, AS WELL AS ON THE NEEDS AND GOALS OF THE SURVIOR COMMUNITY.”

• “SPAN USA IS DEDICATED TO PREVENTING SUICIDE THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AWARENESS, COMMUNITY ACTION AND FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY.”

• “IN MAY 2010, AFSP MERGED WITH SPAN USA TO STRENGTHEN ADVOCACY AND TO HAVE A GREATER INFLUENCE ON PUBLIC POLICY.”

• SPAN USA IS NOW THE PUBLIC POLICY DIVISION OF AFSP

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

3 IMPORTANT ACTS: • GARRETT LEE SMITH MEMORIAL ACT• JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT• WELLSTONE DOMENICI MENTAL HEALTH PARITY &

ADDICTION EQUITY ACT

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

GARRETT LEE SMITH MEMORIAL ACT• IN 2004, THE GLSMA WAS SIGNED INTO LAW IN MEMORY

OF OREGON SENATOR GORDON SMITH’S SON, GARRETT, WHO DIED BY SUICIDE IN 2003

• THE NATION’S FIRST SUICIDE PREVENTION BILL• THE ACT CREATED A GRANT PROGRAM AT THE SUBSTANCE

ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (SAMHSA) TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES TO REDUCE SUICIDE

• IN 2009, SAMHSA ANNOUNCED $4.5 MILLION IN SUICIDE PREVENTION GRANTS FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT• THE JOVSPA, WHICH BECAME LAW IN 2007, WAS NAMED

AFTER A 22-YEAR-OLD ARMY RESERVIST WHO SUFFERED FROM POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, OR PTSD, FOLLOWING AN 11-MONTH TOUR OF DUTY IN IRAQ AND TOOK HIS OWN LIFE IN 2005

• MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS STAFF• MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING AND TREATMENT FOR VETERANS

WHO RECEIVE VA CARE• SUPPORT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR VETERANS AND

THEIR FAMILIES & PEER COUNSELING• SUPPORT SUICIDE PREVENTION RESEARCH IN THE MILITARY

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT ORGANIZING FOR YOUR OFFICE MEETING

WELLSTONE DOMENICI MENTAL HEALTH PARITY & ADDICTION EQUITY ACT

• IN 2008, THIS ACT WAS PASSED TO ENSURE THAT INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISORDERS WAS COMPARABLE TO OTHER ILLNESSES

• TO ELIMINATE INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION OF THOSE IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

• TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE TREATMENT FOR ILLNESSES THAT CAN LEAD TO SUICIDE

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

ORGANIZING FOR & DURING YOUR OFFICE MEETING

• IF APPLICABLE, USE ACTS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW A MEMBER’S SUPPORT HAS PROMOTED SUICIDE PREVENTION, RESEARCH & EDUCATION OR HOW HIS OR HER SUPPORT IS NEEDED TO SPONSOR A FUTURE BILL

• THANK THE MEMBER FOR HIS OR HER SUPPORT OF ANY SUICIDE PREVENTION LEGISLATION

• USE ACTS TO LEAD INTO DISCUSSION OF POLICY INITIATIVES WITH TALKING POINTS

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT ORGANIZING FOR & DURING YOUR OFFICE MEETING

HIGHLIGHT & DISCUSS PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE BRIEFS:

• USE FACT SHEET & TALKING POINTS TO STRUCTURE DISCUSSION• REFER TO TALKING POINTS TO PERSONALIZE THE ISSUES TO YOU, YOUR

DISTRICT OR YOUR STATE• HIGHLIGHT ONE OR TWO KEY PARTS OF THE ISSUE BRIEF• USE PHRASES LIKE “URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT…” & “ENCOURAGE

REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON TO SUPPORT THE REAUTHORIZATION OR REAPPROPRIATION OF…”

• ASK MEMBER TO SIGN ON AS A CO-SPONSOR TO MENTAL HEALTH & ANTI-BULLYING IN SCHOOLS LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE

• REFER TO A CURRENT EVENT, IF APPLICABLE• USE AN OUTLINE

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT DURING YOUR OFFICE MEETING

• BE COURTEOUS, PROFESSIONAL & BE YOURSELF • LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANTS & AIDES ARE JUST AS GOOD, IF NOT

BETTER, THAN THE MEMBER• STAY ON POINT• MEETING LEADER FOR GROUPS• OK IF NOT EVERYONE SPEAKS IN GROUP MEETINGS• EMPHASIZE SUPPORT OF HIS OR HER OFFICE & DISTRICT• IF YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER• LEAVING ISSUES FOLDER WITH AIDE• THANK AIDE FOR HIS OR HER TIME

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

DURING YOUR OFFICE MEETING

• ASK AIDE/SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE TO HAVE MEMBER COMMIT TO PARTICIPATING IN THE NAB 2011 PSA PROGRAM WITH A MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS PSA

• INDICATE YOU WILL WORK TO MAKE SURE THE PSA IS SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND/OR HIS/HER DISTRICT

• ASK FOR 2 BUSINESS CARDS IF POSSIBLE FOR FOLLOW UP & EVALUATIONS

PREPARING FOR YOUR CAPITOL HILL VISIT

AFTER YOUR OFFICE MEETING

• FOLLOW UP THANK YOU EMAIL• MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OFFICE• INVOLVE YOUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH CHAPTER

OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS• SPEAK WITH OTHER FORUM ATTENDEES • ATTEND 11:15 AM “DEBRIEFING” ON FRIDAY

THIS IS YOUR EXPERIENCE…

SO ENJOY IT!

PLEASE KEEP YOUR

INTRODUCTIONS TO

‘30-SECONDS’ IF

POSSIBLE!

THANK YOU!