Lived Experience Storytelling: Primer for Advocacy

Activism vs. Advocacy

Activism is defined as the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one, while advocacy is defined as the “act of persuading or arguing in support of a specific cause, policy, idea or set of values.” ^[i] Essentially, an advocate may work on behalf of a specific cause, individual, organization, or group, while an activist works towards broader social or political change.[ii]

Both roles are important for driving social change, however, this toolkit will focus on advocacy on behalf of those with lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues.

Where to begin

What is the problem that you would like to change with advocacy?

First, identify the actual problem or issue that needs to be addressed through advocacy. Utilizing lived experience and moments in which something may have been helpful, harmful, or even inconvenient to recovery can drive advocacy much further.

What is the desired outcome?

Identify your desired outcome as soon as you identify your issue. Additionally, you may need to be willing to compromise on your desired outcome if you are advocating at a larger scale. However, recognize where you will not compromise on an issue, and be prepared to have evidence to back up that limit.

How does your story play into this issue?

Were you, or someone close to you, affected directly by this issue? Were existing programs helpful to you, or is there something that could have changed? Were existing programs harmful to you?

Knowing how your personal story plays into the issue can help elected officials connect with the issue at hand. Additionally, leveraging your personal story for advocacy can result in more helpful legislation.

Who do I need to contact?

Knowing who to contact can save you and other advocates valuable time and can help you more effectively reach your goal. Depending on your intended outcome, you may want to contact an elected official at the local (i.e., city council, school board), state, or federal level.

Find your representatives by entering your home address, zip code, or county to see the elected officials for your area. Now that you know your representatives, search for their contact information, such as a phone number and/or email, to reach a staff member in their office.

Contacting the Right People

Often, elected officials themselves may not be as deeply familiar with an issue as their staff. When calling an office, especially if it’s an office that covers a large area or district, ask to speak with the staff member that works on the relevant issue. Here’s an example phone call:

If you are directly advocating for or against a specific issue or legislation, make sure to mention that you are for or against that issue/legislation. If you are limited by lobbying restrictions, please note the lobbying guidelines below.

Know your audience

If you are advocating for or against a specific piece of legislation or issue, remember who your audience is. For example, if you are actively campaigning for fentanyl test strips, but you are trying to contact the office of a legislator that historically has supported criminal penalties for drug offenses, then you may need to tailor your message a bit.

Advocating at the state legislative level can be powerful due to the legislature’s “power of the purse,” or its ability to determine who gets funding, how much, and what that funding may be used for.[iii]

Knowing your own limitations – Lobbying constraints in Texas

Non-lobbying advocacy, on the other hand, focuses on educating people about specific issues. Non-lobbying advocacy includes activities like:

• Conducting educational meetings.
• Distributing information and education materials to legislative offices.
• Disseminating analyses of legislation with details of how it may impact the people your organization serves.
• Inviting legislators or their staff to visit programs so they can see first-hand how their funding is being used to address a need in the community or state.
• Sharing how your organization uses federal, state, or local funding and what the funding helps your organization accomplish.
• Providing information in response to inquiries to offer insights on the impact of a specific piece of legislation on the people your organization serves.
• Offering technical assistance or guidance in reply to formal written queries or requests is not categorized as lobbying, even if they seek your stance on specific legislation. However, it is considered lobbying when you respond to an informal request from an individual office and ask them to take a position on legislation.

Storytelling Tips for Advocates with Lived Experience

Engaging your lived experience with mental health and substance use recovery creates a connection between the story and the solution. The ultimate goal is for your story to be remembered. That’s where the power of storytelling comes in as a tool that can help you achieve your goals and leave a lasting impression on those around you. Do not underestimate the impact of a good story – it could be the key to your success. Individual stories become the story of a people or a group. Many psychologists agree that facts and data are better retained when they are communicated through a story.

As people with lived experience, we often see our stories through endured pain. While this is a critical factor in many journeys, we want to avoid reliving those experiences. Many of these situations have not been resolved and can be retraumatizing. We want to be remembered for our transformation, so our stories should highlight solutions and hope. Remember, this may be the first time the person you are speaking with has met someone in recovery.

• Watch out for jargon.
  • Can your neighbor understand your story and solution?
• Be mindful of the time.
  • Do not assume your time is unlimited. If you are meeting with a policymaker’s office, you may only have 10-15 minutes for the entire meeting.
  • Committee testimony is usually 3 minutes or less.
• Practice, practice, practice.
  • Write down what you want to say and read it out loud.
  • Does it make sense?
  • Is your solution to the issue clear?
  • Can you tell your story in the allotted time?

References

[i] Antje. (2023, February 1). What is the Difference between Advocacy and Activism? The Commons. https://commonslibrary.org/what-is-the-difference-between-advocacy-and-activism/

[ii] Advocacy and Activism. (n.d.). Career Compass. https://careercompass.princeton.edu/career-fields/advocacy-and-activism

[iii] Congressional Research Service. (2020). Congress’s power over appropriations: Constitutional and statutory provisions. Congress’s Power Over Appropriations: Constitutional and Statutory Provisions