Advocacy for Psychiatrists
How to Contact your Legislator
How to Find Your Legislator
Go to vote.utah.gov and click on “find my voter registration info.” Enter your name, address and date of birth, and click “Submit.” In the right hand column that comes up, click on “Contact my Elected Officials.” A full list of your local, state and federal legislators will come up. Click on the arrow at the right of the representative you want to contact. Mailing address, email address and phone numbers will be provided.
How to Contact Your State Legislator or any other government official
A well-written concise letter under your letterhead (home or office) is almost always preferable to emails or phone calls, and certainly to form letters. Close your letter with a question asking the member what specific action he or she will take to follow-up on your request (i.e. cosponsoring, supporting, or opposing a specific bill) and thank him/her for considering your views. If time is of the essence…use email, fax, or the phone!
Address your letter correctly, i.e. place “Honorable” before the persons name in the address area, and then in the body of the letter begin with “Dear Senator , Representative, Governor, Attorney General or whichever is the appropriate title of whom you are writing to.
How to Meet In Person With Your Legislator
Schedule the meeting in advance, whether you will meet in the district or in the Capitol. Be prepared to specify what the meeting will be about. Consult with UPA staff on issues.
Be on time, be prepared. Take material with you as well as your business card. You will rarely have more than 15-20 minutes to state your case.
Personalize the issue. Rather than stating that a bill is "unfair," explain how this would affect your patients and/or your practice.
Wrap up the visit with a specific request, e.g. “I hope I can count on you to vote in favor of (or against) bill number and name.”
Finally, volunteer to be a resource contact.
Follow up with a thank you note and any additional information that may have been requested.
Tips
Identify yourself as a psychiatric physician (legislators may be unaware that psychiatrists are physicians) and a constituent (if you live in the Legislator’s district).
Identify clearly the specific issue or bill you are writing or meeting about. Contact the UPA office for talking points or other information.
Be brief. Be sure to have the facts. State your reasons for support or opposition. Ask your Member for a specific action (i.e. cosponsoring, supporting, or opposing a specific bill) and thank him/her for considering your views.
Recognize that Legislators are very busy and must weigh issues and assess competing interests. You may meet with staff in lieu of the Legislator—this is not a disappointment, but an opportunity to go into an issue with a bit more depth.
Print your letter on letterhead if possible. Be sure to include your address on the letter itself—this is often overlooked on email letters (choose home or work address if it will locate you in a key district).
Important: copy the Utah Psychiatric Association on your letter and mail, and email or fax a copy of any response received to the UPA office.
Physicians Day on the Hill
The Utah Medical Association (UMA) does an admirable job of speaking for all physicians in Utah, but our Psychiatric patients have unique needs, and the expertise of Utah’s psychiatrists is important in advocating for those needs. That is why it is so important that Psychiatrists attend the annual “Doctors’ Day at the Legislature,” a chance to informally meet with our legislators, get to know them, have them get to know us, and have a chance to educate them regarding the unique needs of our very vulnerable patient population.
Information regarding when the next Day at the Legislature will be can usually be found on the Utah Medical Association’s Events and CME Calendar.