Should you’re like me, the concept of attending a congressional briefing could also be intimidating and complicated. Initially, I anticipated what you may see on C-SPAN – to stroll into a big assembly room filled with older, influential authorities representatives questioning folks as they stand in entrance of a microphone. As psychological well being advocates, or future advocates, our voices matter, and attendance at a majority of these boards is crucial for change. Maybe, such as you, the considered one thing so formal was intimidating.

What I skilled, nevertheless, was far much less stoic. In actual fact, it was the precise reverse of what I used to be anticipating. They even supplied snacks and refreshments.

Briefing fundamentals

Congressional briefings are like mini informational classes full of folks from all corners of the nation who share a standard curiosity or concern. The principle objective is to offer insights into a difficulty by detailing its prevalence and serving to folks perceive that change is important for enchancment. As soon as that data is supplied, members can clarify how and why their proposed answer would profit the larger good.

Lately, Psychological Well being America and our companions organized a congressional briefing to debate the significance of peer help companies and what’s wanted from Congress to increase entry. You possibly can take a look at the recording right here. For somebody new to psychological well being advocacy or eager to grow to be extra concerned within the legislative aspect, listed here are discoveries I made that may assist in your journey.

5 takeaways and suggestions

1. Should you’re in search of an answer to a systemic difficulty, you could present data on why and the way that difficulty impacts common residents – and supply options.

On the newest briefing, Psychological Well being America gathered a gaggle of specialists in peer help companies to debate why new options are very important to their work and the way others can get entangled. Among the many panelists, one supplied direct peer help companies in underserved communities; the second acquired these companies as a youngster and has since devoted their life to making sure different younger folks have that very same entry; the third works for a medical insurance supplier that reimburses peer help specialists, rising entry for a lot of of us in want; and the fourth panelist shared her expertise with institutionalization and professionals who claimed her analysis would forestall her from residing an on a regular basis life. All 4 specialists supplied in-depth information and residing proof that peer help companies are efficient and needs to be bodily and financially accessible nationwide. The knowledge they shared proved to attendees how useful peer help companies have been to the lives of these they serve and confirmed how simple it will be to implement extra peer companies throughout the nation. As a corporation led by the voices of lived expertise, these real-life accounts gave insights into the problem. By then offering an answer and recommendations on how that answer will be molded and utilized on a bigger scale, policymakers are left with tangible mechanisms to work with.

2. Assist from a number of teams and organizations is crucial.

Should you plan on asking for something from Congress, and even your native or state legislator, you had higher have ample help from a number of sources. With 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth experiencing a psychological well being situation in any given yr, psychological well being will have an effect on everyone both straight or not directly in some unspecified time in the future of their lives. Having this data makes the case that psychological well being care is a bipartisan difficulty, which has resulted in overwhelming help from either side. That help is useful when these asks are taken to Congress. Along with bipartisan help, Psychological Well being America used this chance to collect like-minded companions and collaborators to tell the briefing. Rising the breadth and depth of the knowledge, together with the various our bodies of illustration, strengthened our asks.

3. “Go away-behinds” present important data and summaries.

Congressional briefings have a tendency to offer a lot data inside a brief interval, so it’s affordable to imagine a few of that data could also be glossed over or not retained. Staffers, liaisons, and others in attendance could must relay what they heard to a Congressperson or different workers, and also you wish to make certain they hit the very important data. The aim of a leave-behind doc, or one-pager, is to make sure your viewers understands the message and might reference it as soon as the briefing ends. On this specific briefing, we had six asks that included data on completely different acts, invoice proposals and calls to motion, all blended in with impactful tales of lived experiences from our panelists. Offering attendees with a brief, concise abstract of the focal factors ensures these with the ability and motivation to take motion have the right data to take action.

4. Invite the appropriate audio system, organizations, and different attendees.

In case you are internet hosting a briefing, or advocacy occasion, getting the phrase out to key people and organizations will go an extended method to strengthen your message and enhance the possibilities of asks being put into laws. With psychological well being being a priority for everybody, no matter their political affiliation or demographic profile, it stands to motive that the majority of us would wish to see circumstances enhance. At this briefing session, the invite record included over 70 organizations who needed to be taught extra about or shared our ardour for peer help companies. We additionally invited specialists to share their lived expertise: Tiara Springer-Love, a psychological well being advocate from New York; Lauren Foster, a behavioral well being program supervisor at Blue Cross Blue Protect, Minnesota; Vesper Moore, a psychological well being advocate at Kiva Facilities; and Dana Foglesong of the Nationwide Affiliation of Peer Companies. By having panel specialists from numerous corners of the psychological well being world, we might talk about the a number of boundaries to implementation and potential options to bettering entry. The big range of attendees improved our possibilities of spreading that data all through teams and organizations to garner much more help. That is essential for objectives like rising funding for analysis and advocating for grants and help for group organizations that present peer help companies.

5. Congressional briefings are a terrific place to community and meet of us with comparable agendas.

In case you are attending a congressional briefing, it’s most likely as a result of you’ve gotten a vested curiosity in the subject material – together with the opposite attendees. Frequent pursuits make it the right alternative to satisfy face-to-face with different individuals who share your ardour and might talk about options. A enterprise card is a should for those who plan to increase your skilled contact record. Moreover, introducing your self to panelists after the session is all the time a good suggestion. In spite of everything, these audio system are specialists of their area and have expertise in your space of curiosity.

Finally, my scary notion of congressional briefings at Capitol Hill was shattered, and I’ll attend extra ought to I get the prospect. I arrived feeling anxious and misplaced however left feeling supported and rejuvenated in being part of the answer. I additionally realized quite a bit regardless of being well-versed within the topics. It helped to listen to accounts of lived experiences and notice that others care about and wish to enhance psychological well being in our nation. Plus, the snacks they supplied have been glorious. Should you get the prospect to attend a congressional, and even state authorities, briefing, take it.

Watch recording of congressional briefing

Makalynn Powell is the Peer and Youth Coverage Fellow at Psychological Well being America.