THANK YOU NOTE
Please thank the individuals you met with. The link above contains a sample thank you note you may copy and paste and personalize.
| Slides (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) | Review the slides from the sessions on Sunday, July 24 |
| Recording | Review the recording of all sessions on Sunday, July 24. |
Advocacy Summit Resources
| Agenda | Programming for Sunday, July 24. This document is being updated regularly. |
| Speaker Bios | Further information on summit speakers and panelists. This page is being updated regularly. |
| Talking Points Worksheet | Using the information on this page, please fill out the Talking Points Worksheet to help prepare for your meetings in advance. |
| Pitch Practice Worksheet | Use this worksheet to develop the pitch you will present in your Congressional meetings. |
| APA Advocacy Training Videos | Helpful for first-time advocates! |
| Congressional Meeting Issue Demonstration | Examples of short and compelling ways to explain issues to Congress. Includes videos, scripts and worksheet. |
| Simulation of a Meeting | Video simulation of a meeting - introductions, explanation and wrap-up. |
| Twitter Tips and Resources | Tips and sample social media posts to amplify your message during and after the summit. |
2022 Climate Advocacy Summit Request | |
Cosponsor the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2021 (H.R.3271)
| Cosponsor the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2021 (S. 1702)
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Note: For the two requests above, please use the links to each bill to see if your Member(s) of Congress are already cosponsors of the legislation. If so, please adjust your request to instead thank them for their support and encourage them to continue to push for the legislation to move forward. | |
Cosponsor the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act
What’s the Problem?
- Climate change is a public health emergency. A stable climate is fundamental to human health, and although the world’s climate has been relatively stable for thousands of years, today’s climate is rapidly changing.
- In addition to affecting physical health, climate change and air pollution are adversely affecting Americans’ mental health.
Sample Talking Points:
- Congress should enact the Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act of 2021 (S.1702, H.R. 3271) to aid communities across the country in managing and responding to the substantial public health impacts of our changing climate.
- Climate change is adversely impacting mental health both directly and indirectly, and its health effects are exacerbating health disparities.
- These effects will intensify over the coming years.
- This bill includes an array of provisions to address the need for effective preparation to protect public health, including:
- Require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national strategic action plan to prepare and respond to the impacts of climate change on health, including mental health;
- Provide technical support to state and local health departments to develop preparedness plans and conduct community outreach;
- Enhance forecasting and modeling, track environmental and disease data and expand research capacity to better understand the relationship between climate change and health;
- Prioritize communities that have been harmed by the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis due to environmental injustices;
- Enhance domestic and international tracking capacity for infectious diseases and environmental health indicators;
- Develop a coordinated research and preparedness agenda on climate and health;
- Require health impact assessments to determine how current and proposed laws, policies, and programs would protect against the health impacts of climate change.
- APA supports initiatives to increase awareness of the population health effects of climate change, and to help build community resiliency to climate change impacts.
- Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately at risk from environmental health hazards. This is also true with respect to the health impacts of climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, floods, poor air quality, energy insecurity, ecosystem changes, and economic disruptions and losses.
FAQs:
- Has this bill been brought up for a vote?
- No, this bill has not been brought to the floor for a vote in either the House or the Senate.
- Is this bill bipartisan?
- Currently there are only Democrat co-sponsors of the legislation but Republican co-sponsors are welcome.
The Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Act is supported by:
Allergy & Asthma Network Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments American Academy of Pediatrics American College of Physicians American Heart Association American Lung Association American Psychological Association American Public Health Association American Thoracic Society Association of Public Health Laboratories | Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America Children's Environmental Health Network Climate for Health ecoAmerica HealthHIV Medical Students for a Sustainable Future National Association of County and City Health Officials National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health | National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners National Environmental Health Association National League for Nursing National WIC Association Natural Resources Defense Council Physicians for Social Responsibility Public Health Institute Society for Public Health Education Society of Thoracic Surgeons Trust for America's Health |
Additional Resources
| Climate Change, Mental Health, and Health Equity Factsheet | This APA Services factsheet reviews the role climate change plays in mental health and health equity |
| APA Task Force Report on Climate Change | Addressing the Climate Crisis: An Action Plan for Psychologists outlines the findings and recommendations of APA's Task force on Climate Change. |
| Mental Health and Our Changing Climate | This report from APA and ecoAmerica offers information and guidance on the mental health impacts of climate change and how to take effective action. |
| Resolution on Affirming Psychologists’ Role in Addressing Global Climate Change | APA Council of Representatives resolution on psychologists' role in addressing climate change, reaffirmed in 2020. |
| Webinar: Mental Health and Our Changing Climate | Watch to hear the major findings of the above report from the authors and to preview the action steps for communities, individuals, practitioners, and policymakers. |
| APA Essential Science Conversation: Climate Change and Mental Health | Watch to hear a discussion on the role that psychologists can play to address climate change. |
| Speaking of Psychology: The Psychology of Climate Change | Listen to this APA podcast episode that discusses what we can do to mitigate the mental health risks of climate change. |
| Majority of US Adults Believe Climate Change Is Most Important Issue Today | This APA press release discusses how climate stress impacts the behavior and priorities of U.S. adults. |
| How psychology can help limit climate change | Article by Kristian S. Nielsen, Susan Clayton, Paul C. Stern, Thomas Dietz, Stuart Capstick, and Lorraine Whitmarsh. |
| Sample Climate Change Skeptic Questions | This document lists sample questions you might receive from audiences skeptical about climate change. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I prepare for the Summit?
All information for the Summit, including our legislative requests, fact sheets, agenda, and participant list can be found on this Summit action center. If you are not seeing the information you are looking for, please check back later - this page will be updated as we receive more information.
If you are new to advocacy or would like a refresher, please watch APA’s Federal Advocacy for Psychology video.
Do I have to schedule my Hill visits for July 25?
No. Our partner, Soapbox Consulting, is handling all scheduling for legislative hill visits for July 25.
When will I get by schedule from Soapbox?
All Hill Day schedules will be emailed to you by Soapbox at the latest 12pm EDT on Thursday, July 21. On the “Meeting Roster” button next to each meeting, you can find the names and email addresses of your fellow advocates for each meeting so you can reach out in advance to introduce yourselves.
What if I can no longer make the July 25 Hill visits?
Please contact us at advocacy@apa.org as soon as possible so we may remove you from the congressional meeting schedule.
What platform is the Summit utilizing?
The Advocacy Summit will be hosted on Zoom. Please ensure that you have the most current Zoom version (5.6.3) by downloading the recent client for meetings here.
How can I attend the Summit?
All participants may join the Advocacy Summit via zoom at 11am EDT on July 24 by clicking this link.
What is the program for the Summit?
The program for the Summit is available here.
How can I attend the Summit’s debriefing session?
All participants may join the Summit’s debriefing session on Monday, July 25, between 3:00pm and 5:00pm EDT via Zoom by clicking this link.