Congressional Advocacy Tips

Trauma advocates across the country need to organize to educate their elected officials and advocate for legislation to bring federal and state programs into line with the science of trauma and resilience.

This manual is designed to provide basic information to help in these efforts. It provides background on how Congress operates, describes ways to organize for effective advocacy, and sets out a structured approach for educating and advocating with your Congressional delegation. Education and advocacy are also needed at tribal, state, county, and municipal levels.

The basic approaches set out in the paper can also be used to impact these levels of government, although they may need to be tailored for specific circumstances.