UNITE TO FACE ADDICTION ADVOCACY DAY 2015 Carol McDaid Capitol Decisions, Inc.

Advocacy Day Schedule 2  7:30am: Breakfast/orientation  9am: Group photo  10am – 4:30pm: Appointments with House & Senate staff Registration is required by 9/15 for advocacy day participation. Register at:

State of Play on Capitol Hill  Difficult political environment  Attention being paid to opioid abuse & overdose epidemic  WE are establishing that those impacted by Substance Use Disorder are a constituency of consequence 3

Advocacy Day Logistics 4  Lobby day participants in state “teams” for meetings on Capitol Hill  Teams will schedule their own meetings  Info on how to schedule your meeting will be distributed to registrants in early September  Submit requests for appointments in mid-September  Leave behind materials distributed at breakfast & available in a “break room” on Capitol Hill  Before departing the Hill, please complete a feedback/follow up form and drop it off with staff at the break room  Staff will be available to answer questions & provide assistance before & during the Advocacy Day

Advocacy Day Tips  Wear business attire and comfortable shoes  Avoid wearing metal, if possible  Capitol Hill offices, especially House offices, are small. Don’t be offended if you meet in the hallway  The House will not be in session; staff drive the agenda on Capitol Hill so your meeting with them is critical  Members & staff are busy; stay on message & be brief  It is illegal to mention political contributions in a congressional office  When staffer closes their notebook, please wrap up 5

How to organize a meeting with a Member of Congress/staff 6  Designate a primary spokesperson  Be brief with introductions; time is short  Provide & collect business cards where possible  Provide a brief explanation of UTFA’s mission and history  Spend the bulk of your time on key messages and requests

How to organize a meeting with a Member Congress/staff (cont’d) 7  Know the legislator’s party affiliation, committee assignments  Tie UTFA’s issues to lawmaker’s community-based issues (i.e recent overdose deaths)  Make a request: legislators want to “do something” for their constituents. For example: Send a letter or cosponsor a bill  Provide the legislator a packet of information AFTER you have concluded your discussion  a thank-you note

Open Your Meeting: Introduce Yourself & UTFA 8  Thank you for taking time to meet with us today.  We’re here today on behalf of Unite to Face Addiction.  I am a constituent in your District/State  I am a [person in term recovery/family member/family member of loss/addiction treatment professional/CJ professional]  We have come to Washington to participate in a national rally for people impacted by addiction  Our primary goals are to achieve a public health response to addiction and improve the health outcomes and civil liberties of criminal justice involved individuals who suffer from addiction

THE ASK: THE COMPREHENSIVE ADDICTION AND RECOVERY ACT (CARA) (S. 524/HR 953)S. 524HR  We hope you can co-sponsor/thank you for supporting CARA.  Introduced by Senators Portman (R-OH) and Whitehouse (D-RI) and Reps. Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Conyers (D- MI) this bipartisan legislation includes a comprehensive response to the epidemic and addresses prevention, law enforcement strategies, preventing overdose deaths, expansion of evidence-based treatment, and support for those in, or seeking, recovery.

THE ASK: SIGN PARITY LETTER TO FEDERAL AGENCIES 10  We support full implementation and enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)  The law was passed in 2008 but the law is still not fully implemented or enforced  Please ask (The Senator or House Member) to sign this letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services & Treasury asking that they full implement & enforce the parity law

Close Your Meeting 11  Invite the staffer/Member of Congress/Senator to visit your organization  Thank them for their time.