Please see below sample thank you notes to send to the individuals who met with you on November 14. Only one note should be sent per meeting. Please select the note that corresponds with the type of meeting you participated in: Senate Leadership, Senate HELP Committee, or Senate Finance Committee. Feel free to copy and paste these note, but please personalize them with details from your meeting.
SENATE LEADERSHIP
Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [and additional participants if any] on November 14th to discuss the nation’s mental and behavioral health needs. We are heartened by the conversations Congress is having on these issues, and hope that your office will prioritize passage of comprehensive mental and behavioral health legislation before the end of the year.
As we discussed, the need for improved access to quality, evidence-based mental and behavioral health treatment is urgent and must be addressed this year. Almost three out of four Americans report feeling overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world right now, and these crises are having a disproportionate impact on the mental and behavioral health of youth, minorities and underserved communities. Comprehensive mental and behavioral health legislation can and will save lives and avert unnecessary costs. APA Services has had discussions with relevant committees on important priorities that could help strengthen and expand access to mental health services – please work with the committees to ensure their inclusion in any final legislation.
[Please add in any additional information regarding local needs that you may have mentioned in your meeting.]
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to support the nation’s mental health needs.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office.
Sincerely,
[Name/Title]
[University/Institution]
[Address]
(Phone: XXXX)
SENATE HELP COMMITTEE
Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [and additional participants if any] on November 14th regarding the need for Congress to pass comprehensive mental and behavioral health legislation this year. We are heartened by the conversations Congress is having on these issues over the course of this year and hope your office will lend support to the proposals we discussed during our meeting.
As we discussed, the need for access to quality, evidence-based mental and behavioral health treatment is as high as ever. Almost three out of four Americans report feeling overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world right now, and these crises are having a disproportionate impact on the mental and behavioral health of youth, minorities and underserved communities. The bills listed below will help strengthen and expand access to mental and behavioral health services. Please help save lives by supporting their inclusion in any final mental / behavioral health legislation.
- S.4306, Improving Access to Behavioral Health Integration Act.
- S. 4170, Mental Health Reform Reauthorization Act.
- S. 1811, Mental Health Services for Students Act & S. 3628, Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act.
- S. 4271, Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act.
- S.4804, Parity Enforcement Act.
- S.1795, Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act.
[Please add in any additional information regarding local needs that you may have mentioned in your meeting.]
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to support the nation’s mental health needs.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office.
Sincerely,
[Name/Title]
[University/Institution]
[Address]
(Phone: XXXX)
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
Dear [Name of Staffer/Representative/Senator]:
Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me [and additional participants if any] on November 14th regarding the need for Congress to pass comprehensive mental and behavioral health legislation this year. We are heartened by the conversations Congress is having on these issues over the course of this year and hope your office will lend support to the proposals we discussed during our meeting.
As we discussed, the need for access to quality, evidence-based mental and behavioral health treatment is as high as ever. Almost three out of four Americans report feeling overwhelmed by the number of crises facing the world right now, and these crises are having a disproportionate impact on the mental and behavioral health of youth, minorities and underserved communities. The provisions and bills listed below will help strengthen and expand access to mental and behavioral health services. Please help save lives by supporting their inclusion in any final mental / behavioral health legislation.
- Inclusion of provision supporting Medicare coverage of supervised mental and behavioral health services furnished by advanced psychology trainees.
- This provision was included as Section 15 of the SFC’s Bipartisan Workforce Enhancement Discussion Draft. In addition to post-doctoral residents, we urge the Committee to include doctoral interns in the definition of “advanced psychology trainee.” Recommended legislative language can be found here.
- Inclusion of provision increasing Medicare & Medicaid reimbursement and support for all evidence-based models of integrated primary and behavioral health services.
- Improving access to psychologists’ services by eliminating unnecessary physician oversight.
- H.R. 4040, the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act.
- S. 2061, the Telemental Health Care Access Act.
- H.R. 4480, the Telehealth Coverage and Payment Parity Act.
[Please add in any additional information regarding local needs that you may have mentioned in your meeting.]
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions or require more information. We look forward to continuing to work with you to support the nation’s mental health needs.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to meet with your office.
Sincerely,
[Name/Title]
[University/Institution]
[Address]
(Phone: XXXX)