Dear AACAP Member:

Meeting with your member of Congress at home is an excellent opportunity to establish a relationship with your Representatives and their staff. The next Congressional recess (when your members will be at home) is July 2 - July 6, 2007. This will be followed by an even longer recess from August 6 - September 3, 2007. This August recess is an excellent opportunity to find time to meet with your members of Congress.

It is very important that you, as child and adolescent psychiatrists, take the time to go and educate your Members of Congress about children's mental health issues. You are the experts on the issues, and are the ones that can have the most impact on your representatives. We hope that with your input and education about these bills, your Congressional Representatives will sign on to children's mental health legislation.

We encourage you to meet with your Senators and House Representative to request their support and co-sponsorship of the Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act (HR 2073), the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (HR 1424/S 558), and the Keeping Families Together Act (HR 687/S 382).

The AACAP Dept. of Government Affairs is ready to assist you with scheduling district congressional visits and will provide you with information packets, including talking points on all of our legislative issues. Even if you are not an expert on congressional issues, our taking points and fact sheets will provide you with all of the information that you need to educate your representatives.

E-mail Abby Schopick, Legislative Assistant at aschopick@aacap.org to coordinate a district congressional visit. Please be sure to provide the name of your Congressional Representative (or home address if you are not sure of your Representative), and a basic idea of what times will be best for you to schedule a meeting.

Visits must be scheduled in advance, so the time is now!