Capitol Hill Day 2011

Mental Health America's 2011 Annual Conference: Capitol Hill/Advocacy Day

Visits with Legislators: While you are in town for Mental Health America's Annual Conference, plan to spend Thursday, June 9, visiting your Senators and Representatives and asking them for their support on important mental health initiatives. We urge you to arrange Hill visits with your two Senators and Congressional Representatives. To find contact information for your Senators and Representative, access the House and Senate directories online at http://www.house.gov/ and http://www.senate.gov/. You can also call the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senators' or Representative's office.  The threats and challenges for services, supports and gains on behalf of people with, or at risk of, mental health and substance use conditions have never been greater! Your visits and relationships with your federal legislators are critical to opposing those attacks and taking advantage of any opportunities that may present themselves in the 112th Congress. Once you have scheduled your visits, email us at caphillday@mentalhealthamerica.net and let us know the member you'll be visiting and time of your appointment so that we can coordinate this important effort.

For more information on effective advocacy, please view 8 Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit(PDF). We have provided below fact sheets on our legislative priorities, which you'll have the opportunity to discuss during your visits.

Briefing: We will also hold a very special briefing on Thursday, from Noon -1:00 pm, in 2168 Rayburn (Gold Room) on the challenges and opportunities of the 112th Congress. You will hear from Connie Garner, who worked former Sen. Edward M. Kennedy as a Policy Director on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and is now at the firm Foley Hoag, and Craig Martinez, DrPH, MPH, Health Policy Advisor to Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

MHA Legislative Priorities for 2011 Hill Day: Below are the legislative priorities we urge you to discuss with your legislators on Hill Day. View a fact sheet for each priority by clicking on the title.

1. Medicaid and Discretionary Spending
2. Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2011
3. Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011
4. Mental Health in Schools Act of 2011
5. Keeping All Students Safe Act
6. Sergeant Coleman S. Bean Reserve Component Suicide Prevention Act

Webinar Information: For those who missed our webinars in May and June, we have provided a recording to help you better prepare for your visits. That recording is available here.  You can also download the accompanying powerpoint slides.

Advocates are also encouraged to download our Messages to Congress handout.