The objective of the campaign is to educate the public through raising awareness of the value of psychology. One critical component of the campaign is the creation of a community outreach endeavor. By networking with community, civic and business organizations, physician groups and public officials, local psychologists can inform and educate community leaders who play a role in shaping public opinion and demonstrate positive outcomes of psychological services. Such efforts also help to educate consumers regarding the value of psychological services.

In building the key contact list, the committee has identified persons and organizations in the community that are important to reach. The next step is to contact these persons and organizations to determine the appropriate venues for a discussion on the value of psychology. Most organizations have a designated member who is responsible for programming and scheduling speakers. Discuss with these individuals how your committee can interact with the organizations to provide information and services useful to groups you want to address. (Sample letters to various groups are included in the campaign kit.)

Marketing Psychology

The public education campaign is designed to raise awareness of the value of psychology. Different, yet complementary strategies and tactics are needed to effectively market your practice. To find out more about how to create and implement such strategies, contact the marketing department of the APA Practice Directorate at 202-336-5900.

CIVIC AND BUSINESS GROUPS

Inventory the community groups that are active in your area, including university forums, chambers of commerce, Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, Town Hall, etc. offer program modules such as stress management, dealing with a serious illness, family relations, child behavior, wellness education or other appropriate topics. Look for subjects that explain or corroborate current news items or matters of local or national interest. For example, if a study is released on stress related illnesses and is covered by the news media, suggest a program on managing stress in the workplace. When Congress is in session, offer a discussion of emerging health care legislation. By relating your program to news worthy items, it will increase the relevance and interest in the subject matter.

Offer to provide feature articles about pertinent issues for publication in these organizations' newsletters. Consider providing a 'guest' psychologist to answer questions in a 'Q & A' format in the newsletter to assure covering topics of interest to the group.

Creating a Speech

A pattern speech, along with artwork for overheads are included in the campaign kits to help you develop presentations. Sample handouts are also included, which you are welcome to copy and disseminate.

BENEFITS and HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS

It is important to build relationships with benefits and human resource managers and others who channel health care information to the public. A direct mail letter may be sent and should include a message from the committee chair or community outreach chair explaining why psychology is important, and include a mechanism for the recipient to get additional information if needed.

You may want to include relevant news articles, summaries of recent studies or other campaign materials to validate the information you are providing. Offer to provide programs similar to those conducted for civic organizations, but structure them to specifically address problems in the workplace or issues affecting productivity. This will provide management the impetus to schedule these programs for employees.

As outlined in the campaign overview, in 1997 a comprehensive strategy will be rolled out to reach decision-makers and influentials throughout the nation. Additional materials will be forwarded in early 1997.

Corporate Noon-Time Meetings

Often, corporations provide 'informational' noon-time programming for employees. Such activities provide an excellent opportunity to conduct topical presentations/educational seminars, which will help both employees and benefits managers understand the importance and value of psychological services. Your committee may choose to develop these types of programs around the campaign's key theme areas: mind/body connection, job stress, and family relationships.

PHYSICIANS

Identify and secure speaking opportunities before local chapters of family/primary care physicians, pediatricians, internists, and other groups. Provide information and programming that specifically address medical concerns. For example, discuss recent studies which demonstrate a correlation between psychological treatment of seriously ill patients and improved medical outcomes. Or, focus on stress-related illnesses and the role psychologists can play in overall treatment.

Before addressing these groups, you may want to mail case studies, research summaries or published articles along with a cover letter to encourage discussion and inquiries at chapter meetings.

PUBLIC OFFICIALS

It is important to educate and inform elected and appointed officials, as well as candidates for public office, to increase their awareness of the value of psychology in your community. These individuals may be called upon to make public statements, develop policies or cast votes on issues that relate to psychologists directly or indirectly. It is crucial that these officials be informed of the emerging role of psychology in the delivery of quality health care, and that they have a local resource to call upon if they have questions or need further information in order to make a decision.

Public officials represent their constituencies and will want to draw upon local professionals for advice and counsel. It is important to develop an open line of communication, or, where appropriate, become a part of an official's political support group in order to provide input into critical decisions.

Coordinating Outreach

To coordinate campaign outreach to public candidates and elected officials, contact your state psychological association, who will put you in touch with an existing network of psychologists to assist with your efforts. If you do not have the telephone number of your state association, call the APA State Advocacy Office at 202-336-5864.

CANDIDATES

During election seasons, convene a group of psychologists and invite candidates to appear to discuss topics of interest. Political candidates are interested in participating in forums of this type for several reasons: they can reach groups that may select candidates based on mutual agreement on certain issues, professional associations are good venues for soliciting financial support and votes, and forums are frequently covered by the news media giving candidates additional exposure in the community.

Open the forum to the public, provide time for opening statements by candidates and select a panel to ask the candidates relevant questions. You may want to develop a questionnaire addressing current issues of interest to the profession and mail the candidates' responses to interested parties.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Organize meetings with federal, state, and local elected officials or key aides to present information outlining the value of psychology. When meeting with officials such as state senators, representatives and legislators, discuss health care legislation and the importance of including good psychological services and consumer protection standards.

When meeting with county commissioners, city council and school board members, localize the issues by concentrating on surveys, data and information which demonstrate how psychology is good for the community.

Use the opportunity to educate public officials and explain the new trends in health care delivery.

Gather information on the levels of interest and support among public officials and record this in the 'key contacts' list so they can receive future mailings, invitations or requests for assistance.

Always let elected officials know that his/her responses are being disseminated broadly to the membership of APA.

THE CAMPAIGN KIT VIDEO

The campaign video includes the following materials for use with both internal and external audiences.

For outreach presentations:

• Excerpts from the campaign media launch in New York, including the print and TV ads, for use during your community outreach presentations
• Samples of the TV spot and radio ads

For internal organizing:

• The entire APA Public Education Campaign news conference, to provideideas and framework for presenting campaign information
• The 1995 Practice Directorate Mini-convention keynote address, featuring Russ Newman, Ph.D. J.D.; this program will help to set the context for the campaign and can be used at your first campaign committee meeting

For More Information

As you go about your media and community outreach efforts, you may find that people want more information. In addition to the reproducible fact sheets included in the kit, interested individuals can be referred to the APA Web Site at http://helping.apa.org., or you can order additional copies of the campaign brochure by calling the campaign information line at 800-964-2000. Members of your campaign committee may order additional kits by calling the campaign information line above.