2009 American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference Meeting of the Assembly of Chapters

1. S Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives 2009 American Art Therapy Association Annual Conference Meeting of the Assembly of Chapters Leadership and Advocacy Training for Chapter Delegates Wednesday November 18, 2009 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Presented by: Christopher C. Campbell, M.A., Director, Public Policy Sarah Kremer, ATR-BC, Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee

2. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Introductions Sarah Kremer, ATR-BC, Chair, AATA Governmental Affairs Committee Christopher C. Campbell, M.A., Director, Public Policy, AATA Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

3. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Why Public Policy Matters? Policy affects you at the national level: • National healthcare reform • Ability to treat Veterans • Special education (IDEA) • Being listed as a separate occupation in the Dept. of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, Occupational Information Network ( O*Net), and Standard Occupational Classification Policy affects you at the state level: • Licensure • Title protection Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

4. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Licensing Standards – State Picture • Art Therapy -Only 3 states license ATs (KY, MS, NM) • ATs licensed as Creative Arts Therapists in NY • ATs included in licensure law for counselors in PA, MA, and TX • Counseling -All 50 states license LPCs-CA became last state in October!! • Other (MFT) -48 states license or certify MFTs Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

5. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists • Individual Activity: sketch out how you would like to practice and what you would need to practice Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

6. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists • Debrief Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

7. state chapter individual art therapists Why YOU Matter!: AATA Without grassroots activity, lobbying is ineffective!

8. You’re listened to MUCH more than lobbyists source: “Communicating With Congress,” Congressional Management Foundation, 2005

9. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Advocacy is like baseball • Legislative change happens s-l-o-w-l-y. It’s supposed to! • Most of the time when a batter steps up to the plate, nothing happens (VERY successful baseball players hit around .300). • On most issues, a certain number of calls or letters will convince a legislator to take action • Your single or double may not win the game, but it makes game winning run possible. Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

10. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Legislators are people too… • Like other humans, legislators’ decisions are often based on personal experiences with other individuals • Many times, a one-on-one contact with a legislator or his/her staff does the job Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

11. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists There’s almost always something specific your legislator can do to help on an issue: • Offer an amendment during floor consideration or a committee mark-up • Send a “Dear Colleague” letter on your issue • Speak in favor of your position in public • Find a colleague on the other side of the aisle to work with • Talk/write to committee chair about your bill • Talk/write to Administration office about your issue • Introduce a bill • Cosponsor a bill • Cosign a letter on your issue Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

12. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists So, how do you contact lawmakers? Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

13. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists • A personal visit with a state legislator or a member of Congress is the most effective form of communication, as it’s the most likely to give the legislator (or his staff) a human face to associate with your issue. • Visits with state legislators can occur either in the state capitol or in their local office; a visit with a member of Congress can be scheduled in Washington, D.C., or at one of his or her district offices. Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

14. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists First, do your homework • Know Your Legislator • Check the status of the legislation, and likely next steps • Find out if your legislator has taken a position on the legislation • Find out if your legislator cosponsored your legislation or similar legislation • Find out if your legislator has any special interest in or influence over the legislation; does he or she sit on a committee with jurisdiction over your bill? • Know Your Issue • Check AATA’s website for stats/arguments supporting your position • Keep in mind the arguments and opposition you may come up against Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

15. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Writing, Faxing, E-Mailing Legislators • Public officials and their staffs pay careful attention to their correspondence (i.e. letters, faxes, e-mail) since it forms the major body of public and voter sentiment on pending legislative activity. • Do your homework first. Know what the legislative situation is, whether or not the legislator has taken a position yet, etc. • Keep it short. Letters should be one or two pages, maximum!, e-mails should fit on one screen • Stick to one issue • Provide reasons for supporting the bill/issue • Say how the bill would affect your community or state • Always include/leave your name and mailing address • Keep a copy of your e-mail or letter for future reference, or make a note to yourself when you make a call Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

16. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Writing/e-mailing your Members of Congress: what happens when… I don’t get a response in three weeks (it will likely take that long) • Call the office back and politely offer to resend or fax the letter/e-mail again • Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease I get a non-specific or non-germane response • Send another letter or e-mail back thanking the legislator for responding, but politely asking for a more specific response addressing your specific request Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

17. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Using the telephone • Telephone calls work, too, and can be especially important when time is of the essence and the issue you are concerned about will be addressed in the next few days. • When you call, you may not be able to speak directly with the legislator, but you can be assured that your message will be relayed to him or her by the staff person you speak with. Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

18. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists The three top rules for advocacy success: • Follow through • Follow through • Follow through The lobbying visit, letter, or e-mail is NOT the end point of engaging in advocacy. The end point is getting a concrete, specific answer from the legislator/bureaucrat on your particular request. Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

19. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Other ways of being an advocate: • Phone call • E-mail • Letter • Visit • Volunteer on a political campaign • Contribute money • Stage a protest • Participate in a march • Hold a press conference Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

20. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Group Role Play: How to Conduct a Lobbying Visit • Walk into the office and introduce yourself to the receptionist, and say who you have an appointment with • When the staff person comes out, introduce yourself, follow their lead on where exactly you’ll be meeting, make small talk, etc. • Talk about your issue • Provide materials for future reference • Thank the legislator/staffer for their time and help, and exchange business cards • Follow up! Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

21. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Conducting a lobbying visit: the sales pitch “What I want to talk to you about today is ___.”…. • Explain who art therapists are—specific to this issue! (“Are you familiar with who ATs are?”) • Talk about your background, including education and training • Talk about the specific legislative issue, and why it’s important to you, your colleagues, and your neighbors; give the staffer your handouts • Make a specific request for action (“I’d like the Senator to cosponsor S. 1234, which would establish licensure for art therapists • Ask when you can follow up with the staffer Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

22. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists Things to keep in mind: • Be brief: you may only get 15 minutes • Share your experiences: you are an expert on you • Ask for something specific • Remember what you communicate may be shared • DON’T make up an answer. If you’re asked a question you can’t answer, just say “I’m not sure about that…let me get back to you.” • DON’T be partisan • Practice your presentation, and know who will say what • DON’T expect an answer…the staff person will have to run your request up the food chain Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

23. Public PolicyThe most prestigious US based organization in the field of art therapy Government Affairs Committee (GAC) • The American Art Therapy Association’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC), working closely with the Director of Public Policy, monitors state and national legislation to ensure that the interests and objectives of the AATA are adequately represented at the federal, state and local levels of government • The committee supports and advocates for legislation and policies that establish nondiscriminatory standards and regulation for the practice and profession of art therapy • The GAC is working with a number of other groups to support legislation and regulations that ensure, secure, and improve employment opportunities for art therapists and recognition of art therapy in mental health and health care settings Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

24. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists • Group Activity: Network with other participants by state or interest group Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org

25. Leadership and Advocacy Training for Art Therapists “You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no results.” ~ Mahatma Ghandi Advancing art therapy to restore and enhance lives www.americanarttherapyassociation.org