Five Easy Steps to Making A Hill Appointment

Sheila Forsyth
APA's Public Policy Office

It's easy to make a hill appointment. Remember - you're a constituent (voter) and every Senator and Representative appreciates knowing what's important to their constituency.

1. First, find the name and telephone number of your Representative and Senators on-line through the following websites: APA-PPO website www.apa.org ; the Senate website www.senate.gov ; and/or the House website www.house.gov

2. Call the Senator/Representative's Office and ask to speak with the Scheduler.

3. Identify yourself as a constituent and psychology graduate student [include the name of your university/institution].

4. State that you will be in Washington on Friday, August 4th for the APA Convention and Student Rally and would like to meet with the Senator/Representative (or appropriate staffer) to discuss federal support for psychology education and training - specifically, the Federal Work Study Program.

5. Confirm the time and location of the meeting (and staffer's name). Thank the Scheduler for his/her assistance. [Note: if you're making more than one appointment; allow 30 minutes between visits.]

(This article is reprinted from the Spring 2000 edition of the APAGS Newsletter.)