National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils – NCSRC National Conference Call - February 14, 2017 Capitol Hill Congressional Visits Rhoda Hunter – Oregon SRC Marlene Malloy – Michigan SRC

OVERVIEW Scheduling visits with Congress. Partnering with VR to conduct joint visits. Preparing and presenting your message. What value is added by SRCs conducting visits with their Congressional Delegation and/or State Legislature. Opportunity for sharing of promising practices and questions.

SCHEDULING Obtain contact information – available online Contact each office one month in advance to schedule your visit. Capitol Hill maps available online – coordinate your visits in geographic order. Allow enough time to walk between buildings.

WHAT TO EXPECT Most congressional offices allow for a 15 minute visit. Often the Senator or Representative are not available and you meet with their aide. Be on time Wear comfortable walking shoes

Capitol Hill

CREATING THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY

PARTNER WITH VR ● Tag Team your congressional visits along with your VR Director (General, Blind or Combined). OR…. ● Have two teams and divide the Capitol Hill visits. NOTE: It is important to have discussion with VR to determine the ‘joint message’ you want to share with your elected officials. The SRC can educate more easily about the successes and challenges, while VR can expound on the data and program information.

SUPPORTS FOR YOUR MESSAGE Provide handouts that highlight the success of the VR Program in their district, and other statewide data. Provide a copy of your SRC Annual Report. Provide Customer Success Stories.

An example: a concise informative document to present, review and leave with your elected Official.

. . .WHEN SRCS VISIT ELECTED OFFICIALS! VALUE ADDED! . . .WHEN SRCS VISIT ELECTED OFFICIALS! 1 – With the ‘customer voice’ you have the opportunity to educate your elected officials about the needs of people with disabilities seeking employment and the value that VR adds to people’s lives. 2 - The SRC role can be critical in educating your Members of Congress or State Legislators on the importance of maintaining state match or over-match level to be able to obtain federal reallocation funds. 3 – When providing VR data, be sure to include information about the money that VR spends in local communities around your state, which has a significant impact on the economy of each state. 4 – Another educational piece would be speaking about the impact of WIOA (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) on VR. Though the legislation has added many new requirements for VR, no additional funding was provided. It is important to note that VR is stepping up and doing the work.

What have been your experiences when visiting your Congressional Delegation? What worked? What didn’t? QUESTIONS . . .