|
|
|
|
|
|
Peer Specialists
|
ADVOCACY TEAM The VOCAL Network's Advocacy Team educates legislators about the needs and interests of Virginia's Mental Health Consumers. This group monitors legislation under consideration and carries the message of VOCAL's values, mission and agenda to the public and our law makers. If you are interested in participating in this please contact Bonnie Neighbour, Advocacy Coordinator for VOCAL, at bonnie@vocalvirginia.org, or at our office at 804-343-1777.
KNOW YOUR LINGO Being an effective advocate means being able to talk the talk as well as walk the walk. Many names of organizations, branches of government, laws, programs, etc. are shortened into acronyms and these acronyms are used in regular speech. For someone who is new to advocacy, and for someone who is old to it, understanding what people are referring to when they use acronyms can get confusing. Click here for a list of commonly used acronyms in mental health advocacy in Virginia and what their definitions are. KNOW YOUR VOTING RIGHTS At the meeting of the Board of
Directors of DMHMRSAS on April 1st, 2008 there was a discussion
of the voting rights of people with mental health challenges.
The following question appears on the Virginia Voter
Registration form, "Have you ever been judged mentally
incapacitated? It is important to understand
that being involuntarily committed to a mental health facility
is not the same as being judged incompetent. Your voting rights
remain intact. It makes a difference when people who experience
mental health challenges let their voices be heard. Voting is a
key way to speak up. Involuntary and voluntary mental health
treatment does not take away your right to vote. -Mary McQuown, DMHMRSAS
KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS An important part of being an advocate is knowing who the legislators that represent you are so that you can direct your questions and concerns to the right person. To find out who represents your area and how to get in contact with them please follow this link: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform
TRACK BILLS/PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON YOUR OWN You can see the most up-to-date information about current legislation online. The Virginia General Assembly's website: http://leg1.state.va.us/, has information about exactly where a bill you are interested in tracking is located in the general assembly and what progress it has made. Another website that some find more user-friendly is www.richmondsunlight.com, this site also tracks bills in the general assembly but does not yield as much information.
ADVOCATE FROM YOUR HOME During this 2008 legislative season many newspapers are running articles, letters, editorials, and editorial cartoons about mental illness. Some of these published items are friendly towards consumers, some are not. This presents an opportunity to do some advocacy work from your home. If you see something in the paper that you support or something you oppose, consider writing a letter to the editor. Some people in the Roanoke area are writing letters in response to the editorial cartoon seen at this link: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/xp-index. Letters to the editor of the Roanoke Times can be sent to Karen.trout@roanoke.com and letters@roanoke.com. The address for letters to the editor for other newspapers can be found on the editorial page of each newspaper. Some Virginia newspapers’ contact information for Letters is included at the end of this page. Tips for Writing Letters-to-the-Editor: 1. Submit your letter in a timely manner about a timely topic. Don’t let too much time slip by – news gets old fast. 2. If possible, link your letter to something published recently in the paper (either a news item or another letter-to-the-editor) and respond as quickly as you can. 3. Keep it focused on one main point, concise and informative. Editorial space is limited. A shorter letter has a better chance of getting printed. Word limit is about 200 words per letter but check the paper for guidelines. 4. Find out the publication’s guidelines (length, letters/writer, signers/letter) and stick to them. 5. Be firm but polite: make your case without insults or rants. Don’t engage in personal attacks on reporters or other letter-writers. 6. Write with the assumption that readers know nothing about your topic. Don’t use acronyms or “industry lingo” that only a few will understand. 7. Use talking points that may be provided to you but don’t rely too much on them – always personalize. 8. Always proof read your letter before sending it. 9. Recruit your friends and colleagues to send in letters as well--the more letters submitted on a topic, the better the chance of one of you getting published. 10. If you hold a position include that with your signature (ex. Affiliate President) to add credibility. It increases the chance that you’ll get published. Submitting your letter Always include your full name, address and phone number. This information will not be published but many publications will contact you to verify your identity before printing a letter. Also be sure to sign your letter unless submitted over e-mail.
Freelance Star
( Washington Post: letters@washpost.com Virginian Pilot: letters@pilotonline.com
Daily Progress
( Daily Press: online form available at www.dailypress.com in the Opinions section
News and Advance
(
Daily News Record
(
|
|
|
