Guild 2024 Advocacy Toolkit
At Guild, Advocacy is our North Star. It is the tool that will truly unlock our mission of helping clients lead stable, fulfilling lives in their chosen community. It is not enough to only support immediate mental health needs; we must champion an entire systems change. That is where advocacy and the Minnesota Legislature come in.
Together with our elected officials, we have seen progress in fixing policy problems and funding urgently needed infrastructure. But you know better than anyone that complex systems, particularly mental health and housing systems, don’t change overnight. That’s why we need you – our staff and board members – to use your voices and your expertise to advocate for meaningful change this legislative session.
We hope you will use these resources and a number of training and organizing opportunities this legislative session to find and use your voice in advancing our work and supporting our current and future clients.
Step 1: Find you Legislative Representative
Before you make a phone call or send an email, you need to know who represents you. It’s based on where you live, and their job – State Representatives and State Senators, and also the Governor – is to listen to you and cast their votes with your voice in mind. They might not always agree with you or vote as you’d like, but if enough people raise their voices asking for the same thing, it is hard for your representatives to ignore you and your asks.
Enter your home address into this state website to find who represents you. Anyone, even if they aren’t an eligible or active voter, can and should contact their representatives. Their decisions impact everyone in Minnesota.
Write Them | Sample Letter or Email
Dear Senator/Representative [NAME],
My name is [NAME], and I am a constituent in your district.
[Insert your story or a specific example of what needs fixing or why this issue is so important to you.]
I want to thank you and your colleagues for the progress that has been made in recent years, particularly last year’s historic infrastructure investments. But “home” is more than bricks and mortar, it’s comprehensive support. And it’s not enough to support immediate mental health needs, we need systems change.
Specifically this session, we ask for fixes to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), changes to the Cost-Based Rate Setting Calculation, and investments in continued housing support or our most vulnerable neighbors, as outlined in the “Blue Book” provided by The Mental Health Legislative Network (MHLN).
[My colleagues at Guild / The staff at Guild, where I am a proud Board Member,] are experts in navigating complex safety-net systems in support of our clients. But we also know that the systems intended to help are, in fact, causing harm. On behalf of the thousands of clients we work relentlessly to serve every year, and the many thousands more served by our coalition partners, I hope you will prioritize mental health this legislative session and enact the policy changes and investments we urgently need.
Thank you for your time.
[Your Name]
[Your Mailing Address]
Call Them | Sample Phone Script
Hello Senator/Representative [NAME],
My name is [NAME], and I am a constituent in your district.
[My colleagues at Guild / The staff at Guild, where I am a proud Board Member,] are experts in navigating complex safety-net systems in support of our clients. But we also know that the systems intended to help can, in fact, cause harm.
Specifically this session, we ask for your support of [insert TBD House / Senate bill number and description and/or as outlined in the “Blue Book” provided by The Mental Health Legislative Network (MHLN)]
Thank you for your time.
[Your Name]
[Your Mailing Address]
Ask Your Network To Join You | Social Media Posts & Graphics
[My colleagues at Guild / The staff at Guild, where I am a proud Board Member], are experts in navigating complex safety-net systems in support of our clients. But we also know that the systems intended to help can cause harm.
That’s why we’re looking to this legislative session and our elected representatives to make progress fixing the broken mental health system. We start here:
- Enact fixes to Assertive Community Treatment (ACT).
- Change the Cost-Based Rate Setting Calculation.
- Invest in continued housing support for our most vulnerable neighbors.
Join me in advocating for systems change! Share this post! Contact your representative! Join us on our upcoming lobby days. It’s all here: guildservices.org/get-involved/advocate
Mental Health Day on the Hill-Specific
As a proud Guild [staff member/board member], I’m lit up about this year’s Mental Health Day on the Hill. Will you join me at the Capitol on March 7?
The vital work we do every day isn’t enough to fix our broken mental health system. So this year we’re keeping the spotlight on mental health-related legislation and infrastructure throughout the session and asking our representatives to make real changes!
Join me on March 7 starting at 9:30 a.m., when we’ll get a deep dive into our policy priorities followed by a rally in the Capitol rotunda and meetings with your representatives. Bring your wattage and let’s keep the spotlight on mental health this session. Details are here namimn.org/event/mental-health-day-on-the-hill-2024.
And don’t worry if you have missed the registration date – all are welcome!
Homeless Day on the Hill Specific
Homeless Day on the Hill is March 20, and we need the Minnesota Legislature to partner with us in transforming our mental health and housing support systems into comprehensive spectrums of care.
Will you join me and my [colleagues/fellow board members], for this energizing, inspiring day of action? We begin at 9:00 a.m. with a welcome program and then head to the Capitol for a rally and legislator meetings. Come and be the change our broken system needs!
Register by March 1 via our friends at MN Coalition for the Homeless: secure.everyaction.com/yh5D7pt1yE6TrPoW7k0SVQ2
