ACTION CENTER
Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD)
LEAD 2024
About:
Every year, NASW-MA organizes an annual Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) during Social Work Month in March. LEAD will be held virtually on Tuesday, March 26th, 2024 starting at 9:00 am. LEAD provides social work students and newer professionals with an opportunity to learn about our shared legislative priorities and to engage in advocacy through direct contact with their legislators.
This year we are excited to announce that we will have a recorded video from Senate President Karen E. Spilka and that the keynote will be made by Senator Robyn Kennedy.
Our Lobbying 101 speaker, Chelsea Sedani recently joined the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center as director of advocacy. Sedani, a social worker, previously worked 15 years in advocacy roles at Economic Mobility Pathways, formerly called Crittenton Women's Union, where she managed legislative and budget initiatives tied to cash assistance, family shelter, affordable housing, child care and workforce training. She has a master's degree in social work from Boston College.
Before registering for LEAD 2024, we encourage you to check in with your School of Social Work. Many schools are covering the cost of student registration and can provide you with a code to use.
Registration is now open! Click here to register!
Workshops: more information coming soon!
The number of participants for each workshop will be capped at 150:
S.160/H.1253 SUPER Act
S.982/H.1391 Treatment, Not Imprisonment
S.855 / H.1354 Flexible Supportive Housing Subsidy Pool Program
S.75 / H.144 Lift Our Kids Out of Deep Poverty
Meeting with your legislators (Meetings should be scheduled a few weeks before LEAD):
Scheduling a meeting with your legislator is easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Find your legislator's contact information (hint: use this link here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
2. Call or e-mail your legislator.
Example script: Hi, my name is _________ and I am a constituent (resident if not a registered voter) of Rep./Sen. ________. I'd like to set up a meeting with them regarding bill# ________.
3. Find a time to meet with your legislator or their aide. (Note: Aides are crucial to keeping their legislators informed and are just as important to meet with).
Be sure to bring any fact sheets related to your bill and, of course, your personal stories about how this bill would affect you or your clients. Want more guidance on what to chat about when meeting with your state senator or state rep? Click here!
Note: Legislators will often schedule coffee hours or other times for you to meet with them in the district. Check out their social media pages to find out when!
Sponsorships
We want to say thank you to all of our LEAD 2024 Sponsors. Without their commitment to advocacy, this event would not have been possible!
The Boston College School of Social Work is a global leader in social work education, dedicated to finding solutions to the pressing social issues of our time through pioneering practice and research. Grounded in Boston College’s 159-year tradition of service, BCSSW pursues the highest standards of intellectual rigor alongside a deep commitment to social justice, developing practitioners who think in new ways to improve the lives of others.
The Bridgewater State University School of Social Work maximizes student potential through excellence in teaching, professional development and community engagement to prepare social workers for leadership and justice-informed practice.
BU School of Social Work -- a top-ranked graduate school offering MSW, PhD & professional development programs led by a research-driven faculty focused on innovation & impact. Our mission is to develop dynamic and diverse social work practitioners, leaders, and scholars through rigorous teaching and transformative community collaborations.
The School of Social Work (SSW), founded in 1904, was the nation's first institute of higher learning to offer training for clinical social workers, and the SSW continues to be a pioneer in social work education and practice. The goal of the SSW is to provide transformative learning experiences through small, interactive classroom environments, experiential learning opportunities, and strong faculty mentorship. The BSW, MSW, MSW Online, PhD, and DSW programs share a commitment to preparing graduates to practice social work in a complex, multicultural world. SSW programs focus on the development of strong skills, career preparation, and readiness for the field. SSW students share a passion for scholarship, a dedication to community, a vision for change, and a commitment to social justice and human rights.
Salem State University’s School of Social Work mission is to educate social workers for practice as practitioners, leaders, and change agents.
