Francis Deviney and Christine Farmer
APAGS State Advocacy Coordinators for the
APAGS Advocacy Coordinating Team (APAGS-ACT)
Advocate: "a person who pleads on behalf of another… a person who speaks or
writes in support of some cause, argument or proposal" (Webster’s Encyclopedic
Dictionary, 1990, p. 12). Webster also reminds us that "advocacy" comes from the
Latin "advocare", or "counsel" – a word more familiar to our
profession. However, despite its Latin roots of care and counsel, tending to and
researching the mental and behavioral health needs of individuals and communities seems a
far cry from the political realm. Moreover, many graduate students find the proposition of
advocacy, especially when this entails speaking with political figures, a daunting
proposition.
Nevertheless, despite some initial misgivings and trepidation, hundreds of psychology
students from across the nation have found advocacy experiences to be empowering ones.
From letter writing to rallying our peers to speaking with senators, psychology graduate
students have practiced advocacy and reaped the rewards. Many of us experienced those
rewards for the first time at the APA Convention on August 4, 2000, when 25 visited with
our legislators on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. And yes, we lived to tell about it.
Organized by the Advocacy Coordinating Team (ACT) of APAGS and the Public Policy Office
of APA, the hill visits were an effort to educate our legislators about the contributions
made by graduate students to constituencies all across our nation and to advocate for
increased funding for the Federal Work Study Program which helps to support graduate
students as they pursue their degrees. Not surprisingly, many psychology graduate students
felt strongly in favor of these causes and agreed to set up a visit with one of their
state senators. And then the fear set in. Who do I call? What do I say? Do I know enough
about current, relevant legislation? These were some of the questions we asked ourselves.
The answers were readily available. ACT provided phone numbers of senators, a web site
where phone numbers and other contact information could be accessed, and a script of what
to say when making that initial call. Easy enough, the calls were made, and this first
step was itself rewarding. A senator or legislative aid agreed to meet with me! And
all I had to do was ask.
The appointments were made, the dates written in our calendars, and the anticipation
began. Again, anxiety crept into our consciousness as the date of our visits loomed
closer. APA and APAGS were there to guide us with an advocacy workshop at the convention
the night before our visits. During this workshop, we discussed the legislative process,
the importance of lobbying, and the specific legislation for which we would be advocating
the following day. We role played to better prepare ourselves for our hill visits, and we
watched a video representing both an effective and not-so-effective meeting between a
legislator and constituent. We left feeling more confident, relaxed, and inspired.
Even still, the idea of meeting with a senator or legislative aid seemed intimidating
for first timers. The actual experience, however, was quite the opposite. According to
Alfred Amado, a graduate student in School Psychology at Texas A & M University,
"the most surprising thing about the visits was . . . the genuine concern displayed
by [our representatives which] made us feel like we were really being heard." Many of
us were happily surprised by the interest our representatives had in our concerns. In the
words of Mr. Amado, "Visiting our Representatives' offices provided them with real
life stories to the issues we presented, allowing them to better understand our
situation." The beauty of lobbying and advocacy is that the members of Congress and
their staffers want to hear what we have to say as a way to stay informed about the
issues that are important to their constituents.
In addition to feeling respected and heard during our visits, we left feeling
empowered. Michelle Rone from Wright State University School of Professional Psychology
commented upon this feeling of empowerment: "I realized that I was making a huge
contribution to our profession!" Indeed, by speaking to your senator or
representative, you may influence thousands or millions of lives across the country by
impacting one vote in Congress. One vote may be all it takes to pass a bill or amendment
that will affect a large number of people. We came away from our visits knowing that we
had participated in the democratic process and had thereby fulfilled an important civic
duty and responsibility.
In closing, we want to encourage our peers and colleagues to become advocates of
Psychology. We hope that our recent experiences have demystified the idea of a "hill
visit," and inspired you to give it a try. APAGS and APA are readily available
resources for you and are eager to advise new advocates. Additionally, over the course of
the coming year you may hear from your APAGS State Advocacy Coordinator or Campus
Representative encouraging you to engage in various advocacy opportunities. These
initiatives will allow you, a knowledgeable and passionate psychologist in training, to
use your skills on behalf of those who receive psychological services, as well as for the
rights of psychology graduate students. We are confident that if you become involved in
advocacy, you too will come away from your experience feeling empowered, responsible, and
a critical component to the democratic process!
This article first appeared in the Fall 2000 Edition of the APAGS Newsletter, Vol.
12(3)
