Yes, You CAN! Help Advance APA’s Work in the New Congress

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Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government & LegalFull AccessYes, You CAN! Help Advance APA’s Work in the New CongressKatherine G. Kennedy, M.D.Katherine G. KennedySearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:26 Dec 2022https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.01.1.38AbstractGetting involved in APA’s advocacy efforts isn’t difficult and doesn’t have to be time consuming, but it is crucial to the welfare of your patients. This article is part of a series by APA’s Council on Advocacy and Government Relations.2023. A new year. A new U.S. Congress. The 118th to be precise.U.S. Congress feels new for many reasons. We have over 80 new U.S. senators and House of Representatives members. We have new House congressional districts, by way of 2020 U.S. census data reapportionments, and new leaders. All this translates into new relationships, new coalitions, and new opportunities for APA to engage with Congress to get our message heard. APA has made great inroads moving the ball forward on key federal legislation—like expanding access to mental health services for our patients, increasing funding for critically needed graduate medical education slots, and advancing mental health parity implementation (Federal Affairs).But APA’s excellent policy initiatives don’t make change without repeated and sustained action. Our data-driven ideas need to be communicated effectively to legislators of all political stripes, from Texas to Tacoma and Maine to Malibu. We need our U.S. congressional legislators to recognize that policies are not mere words on a page—they may mean life or death for our patients.But how do we get our legislators to listen? To care? To legislate new policies?Legislators will listen when their information comes from a reliable and trusted source. They will care when those sources can effectively translate dry policies into real-life patient stories. And they will legislate new policies when they get similar messages from multiple trusted sources—when that policy makes a difference for a population.Imagine if each of us initiated a relationship with one of our U.S. House members or senators. Then, imagine if each of us became a reliable, trusted source of mental health information for that legislator. Then, if this happened for all 435 U.S. House members and 100 U.S. senators, imagine the power of each of us becoming the go-to mental health resource for all 535 members of Congress.It may seem daunting to initiate a relationship with a legislator (even though, as psychiatrists, our jobs often focus on relationships), but it’s easier than you think, and APA can help.APA can offer both guidance and support to help you develop a working relationship with your House member or senator. APA’s knowledgeable and resourceful Division of Government Relations staff can share useful materials and tools and answer your specific questions, too. You may also find it helpful to sign up for APA’s Advocacy Alerts to get the latest on APA’s policy work.And consider joining APA’s Congressional Advocacy Network—which nicely acronyms into CAN—to take full advantage of all that APA has to offer. CAN is a systematic way for APA to ensure that every U.S. House member and senator is paired with an APA member. For example, in the last Congress, 96% of U.S. senators were connected to APA members through CAN. But between the recent election and redistricting, our percentages have decreased. To best advance our policies, we need APA members to be connected to 100% of the members of Congress.Want tips to get started?Get to know your legislators by looking at their websites and social media: What are their stances on various mental health issues? On what committees do they serve? Do they hold any leadership positions?Email or connect with your legislators on social media; consider inviting them to a tour of your clinic or a district branch event.Don’t let political differences interfere with your efforts to relate to your legislator; since federal legislation always requires bipartisan accord, strive to find common ground.Reach out to APA staff for help by emailing [email protected]One last point: Remember to foster relationships with the staffers in your legislator’s office. Staffers are often the ones making sure the job gets done. When you have a staffer’s cell phone number, that’s often as good as having the legislator on speed dial.So yes, you CAN! Join CAN, foster a relationship with your legislator, and help transform APA’s policies into new federal laws. ■Congressional Advocacy Network (CAN)Sign up for APA’s Advocacy Alerts.If you’d like to connect with APA’s Division of Government Relations, email Rabia Khan [email protected].Katherine G. Kennedy, M.D., is chair of the APA Council on Advocacy and Government Relations and an assistant clinical professor at the Yale University School of Medicine, where she leads the Legislative Advocacy Skills Program. She is also co-editor of A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Advocacy from APA Publishing. ISSUES NewArchived