2013 Mental Health America Capitol Hill Day June 5-6, 2013 Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center National Harbor, Maryland

**Shuttle service to/from Capitol Hill and the Gaylord National will be provided throughout the day.

Get ready for Capitol Hill Day, Thursday, June 6, during our Annual Conference, Why Wellness Works: Breakthroughs and Pathways to Whole Health, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. 

Capitol Hill Day is one of Mental Health America's (MHA) most important annual events. Every year, hundreds of affiliates and advocates from around the country join forces in D.C. to ensure that our voice is heard among members of Congress on issues that are critical to the mental health and addiction communities. MHA's Capitol Hill Day has traditionally ushered in our Annual Conference in June.

This year, MHA's Capitol Hill Day will take place over two days - Wednesday, June 5 to hear from Hill and Administration staff as well as other leaders in our field, and Thursday, June 6 to march to the Hill and visit with attendees' Senators and Representatives. Our lobbying days mark an excellent opportunity to come together as a community and rally on the Hill in high numbers.

Joining us to kick off Hill Day will be mental health champion Patrick Kennedy. Listen to his inspiring words and then head to Capitol Hill with advocates from around the country to lobby Members of Congress on vital mental health legislation. Mental health is receiving greater attention than ever before and this is a pivotal moment to press for change. Add your voice to our call for action in Washington.  

As many of you know, Capitol Hill Day is critical in making the case for legislation, policies and funding for supports and services for people with, or at risk of, mental health and substance use conditions. Your visits and relationships with your federal legislators are critical to advancing our policy positions and any other opportunities that may present themselves in the 113th Congress. MHA hopes you can join us for this important event. Once you have decided to attend Hill Day, we will call on you to arrange Hill visits with your two Senators and Congressional Representatives.

Preparing For Hill Day

To ensure your meetings have a powerful impact, we will be having several training sessions leading up to Hill Day:

• Hill Day Advocacy 101 Webinar on May 21 and 30. This webinar will review important legislation pending before the Congress and strategies for successful meetings with your representatives. Register for either day here. Download the presentation or view the recording from the May 21 webinar.
• Advocacy Training on Wednesday, June 5, 4-5:30 pm. Great for veteran and rookie advocates, this session will give you all the preparation you'll need for your Capitol Hill visits on Thursday. We'll give you background, insight and fact sheets on Mental Health America's legislative priorities, and attendees will learn tips and tricks for making a lasting impression on your Members of Congress.

Fact Sheets

You can review the fact sheets on legislation prior to attending the webinars or the advocacy training.

• Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2013 (S. 116)
• Mental Health in Schools Act of 2013 (S. 195/H.R. 628)
• Children's Recovery from Trauma Act (S. 380)
• Youth PROMISE Act (H.R. 1318)
• Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2013 (S. 162/H.R. 401)
• Excellence in Mental Health Act (S. 264/H.R. 1263)
• Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R. 1893)
• Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013 (S. 689)
• Mental Health First Aid Act (S. 153/H.R. 274)
  
• Federal Appropriations for Mental Health Services and Supports
  
• Eight Tips for a Successful Lobby Visit

Hill Day Reception

Join us at the Dirksen Senate Office Building (Room G-50) to share success stories from your Hill Day visits and network with other advocates from 5:30-7pm. We will also honor Mental Health America's Legislator of the Year awardees.

Transportation

Complimentary shuttle service to/from Capitol Hill and the Gaylord National Resort will be provided throughout the day on a set schedule. Should you opt not to use this service, the average cost of round-trip cab fare can exceed $70.

We look forward to seeing you at MHA's Capitol Hill Day.