Speak Out
Speak Out for Our Children with Mental Health Needs ~ Mobilizing Family-Run Organizations
Our Goal: To advocate for our children, youth and families with mental health needs and the missions of our family-run organizations that support children and families.
Speak Out Postcards
As part of FREDLA’s Speak Out for Children’s Mental Health Initiative, we have developed postcard templates for organizations to use when communicating with their legislators about protecting the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and other policy issues.
The postcards are provided in two formats.
ONE: One format is a template you can use to print on your own printer with Avery 5 1/2 X 4 1/2 postcards (5689) that print four to a sheet. You will have to run the postcards through the printer twice to print both the front and back of the postcards. You can purchase of packet of 200 Avery postcards that will print on a laser printer for approximately $25.00. We recommend using Avery postcards 5689 as the borders for the template were designed to fit this product. Be sure to set your printer for landscape printing. To download the front of the postcards, click here. To download the back of the postcards, click here.
TWO: The second format provided is one you can upload to order 6 X 4 inch postcards online from a printing company such as Vista Print. You can order 100 postcards for approximately $17.50 or 500 postcards for approximately $48.00. To download, click here.
We encourage you to invite families, staff members and board members to a postcard party to write personal messages or you can distribute the postcards for people to fill out at home and mail. Remember the cost for mailing a postcard is .34 cents.
A list of addresses for your legislators can be found below on this page.
Pictures of your postcard party can be posted to the FREDLA Speak Out for Children’s Mental Health Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SpeakOutforChildren/?ref=bookmarks.
We hope you will use the postcards for many advocacy efforts at your state and communities to Speak Out on all issues affecting our children including juvenile justice, child welfare, and education.
Advocacy Resources
Health Legislative Aide Congressional Directory 115th – 2017
Guide to Creating a One-Pager on Your Organization
Templates for Requesting a Meeting and Follow-up from Meeting with Your Legislator
Building Relationships with Representatives
Issues Affecting Our Children, Families and Family-Run Organizations
Block Grants, Per Capita Caps Would Slash Medicaid, Put Beneficiaries at Risk ~ National Council for Behavioral Health
Unite for Behavioral Health: Medicaid is Not a Partisan Issue, It is a Human Issue ~ National Council for Behavioral Health
Education – protecting IDEA and Disability Rights for Our Children ~ Children’s Mental Health Network
Key Points of the American Health Care Act – Notes from March 20th Call
Click here to download.
National Council for Behavioral Health ~ A Handbook for Advocates
To download this toolkit, click here.