Social Work Lobby Day

1
Social Work Lobby Day

• Helping our Legislators,
• One Day, and More
• Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD
• Florida Atlantic University
• abarsky_at_fau.edu

2
Self-Identification

• Not lobbyist language important
• Not speaking on behalf of NASW, or your
  school/university
• Social work student
• Constituent of your district (know your district)
  - citizen
• Concerned social worker who works with, or who
  practices in field of

3
Generalist Intervention Model

• Revised order for legislative advocacy
• Assessment and Planning
• Engagement
• Intervention
• Evaluation and Follow-up

4
Assessment and Planning

• Prepare, prepare, prepare
• Ideal research on social issue, legislative
  process, specific legislation, legislators who
  you will meet
• Appointment vs. Unannounced visit
• Goal support, thank, persuade, damage control,
  inform, offer help, establish rapport, raise
  awareness

5
Assessment Planning

• Know who you are speaking with
• Name, Position(s), Seniority
• Party, Worldview/Values, Pet Projects
• Pro, Con, Undecided, Uncertain regarding your
  advocacy issue
• Barsky, A. E. (2007). Conflict resolution for the
  helping professions. Belmont, CA Brooks/Cole.
• Influencing State Policy - http//www.statepolicy.
  org Contest 1,000.00

6
Assessment Planning

• Handouts business card, brief, letters,
  petitions, websites
• Dress and Presentation what image do you want
  to convey?
• Small groups of students who will speak to
  which issue, order, not overwhelming person
  designate observation and feedback

7
Assessment and Planning

• Psychological Preparation
• Confident, but not arrogant
• Self-messages
• Anxiety reduction strategies
• Start easy
• Practice what, how you say (role-play with
  others, or with mirror)
• OK to be nervousreal/not professional lobbyist

8
Engage

• Greeting, Introduction
• Assess responsiveness body language, tone of
  voice
• Thank, Show Appreciation
• Making connections, if appropriate
• Rogers Core Conditions
• Empathic understanding
• Unconditional positive regard
• Genuineness
• Getting down to business

9
Intervention

• Refer back to your goal
• Providing information
• Persuasion
• Offering support, thanks
• Raising awareness
• Link discussion to your goal
• Balance you / legislator
• Do I ask, or do I tell?

10
Intervention - Information

• Clear, concise, to the point
• Evidence research, experience, anecdotes
• Interesting, creative presentation
• Gauge how is legislator responding? (e.g., yawn
  or rolls eyes)

11
Intervention - Persuasion

• Constructive use of power
• Personal Process
• Expert Nuisance
• Resource Legitimate
• Associational Sanction
• Moral Habitual
• Work with person, not debate, threat, or fight

12
Intervention Support

• Legislator already on side
• Thank
• Offer help, ask how
• Invite suggestions for who else to speak with,
  and how
• Show empathy e.g., may not be taking a
  politically popular position esp., defending
  rights of a minority

13
Intervention Raising Awareness

• Ask questions (may already know)
• Information reframe to help recipient hear,
  acknowledge issue
• Stories with emotional impact
• Humor (if appropriate, may be risky)
• Not asking for a specific response, right away
  (long-term goal)
• Help to put issue on table offers words to
  encourage discourse

14
Evaluation and Follow-Up

• Offers of help or follow-up
• Requests for meetings in home district
• Feedback from observers
• Take notes to remind
• Report concerns to Professors, NASW request
  help, if needed
• Thank you notes
• Follow up with assistants, legislators

15
AVOID

• Lecturing, Rambling
• Condescending, partisan-political, or
  unprofessional language
• Disrespectful body language
• Raw expressions of anger
• Over-intellectualizing
• Veiled threats or bribes
• Bad breath ?

16
Conclusions

• Be prepared
• Do good Rogers conditions alone success
  (reflects on you, SW, clients)
• Learn perfection not required
• Take pride in what you accomplish
• Social justice and advocacy not just one day
  whole career, and whatever you choose to put into
  them