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Senator Menendez Advisor Addresses Coalition
Fefferman Reviews ‘ABCs’ of Advocacy for Caregivers

It may have been a typical hot, sleepy August day outside, but inside the ‘joint was jumping’ at the Morris County Library on August 13, as over 80 people committed to the cause of caregiving gathered at the Caregivers Coalition of Morris County’s monthly meeting.

Carolyn Fefferman, Senior Advisor to United States Senator Robert Menendez, was on hand as the meeting’s guest speaker, and the crowd was most appreciative.

Fefferman, a New Jersey native who received her law degree from Seton Hall University Law School, works on a number of policy issues for Senator Menendez, including health care, environment, energy, and transportation. 

Her remarks offered suggestions on how to successfully advocate for policy change with lawmakers, beginning with a simple ‘ABC’ formula.  Her ‘A’ stood for showing appreciation for work that the lawmaker and his or her staff may have already done on an issue.  ‘B’ was for building bridges, or relationships, with key staff as well as with the elected official.  Fefferman suggested such actions as asking to be added to the lawmaker’s outreach list, or newsletter email list, inviting policy staff to one’s key meetings, and attending local meetings held by the lawmaker.  Finally, ‘C’ stood for coalitions have clout.  She noted that staffers receive many meeting requests and legislative suggestions.  When requests are pooled, and when policy amendments are supported by a wider constituency, it is easier to bring the lawmaker on board.

Fefferman advised advocates to focus their agenda, and to research past legislation and policy updates prior to any meeting.  She shared the Library of Congress search engine as a valuable resource, http://thomas.loc.gov/.  She also suggested targeting specific lawmakers who share a passion for an issue, even if they come from a different state or community. She noted that the news media is an effective way to highlight an issue to an elected official; sharing compelling data and local stories with the press and forwarding any articles to the lawmaker’s offices is an effective advocating tool.

Fefferman also shared that the Senator is particularly in tune with the needs of caregivers, as his own mother has Alzheimer’s and his sister is her primary caregiver.  In 2006, he introduced The Caregiver Assistance and Relief Effort (CARE) Act to provide tax credits to people caring for ailing family members and loved ones and encourage individuals to plan and invest in their own long-term care by offering a tax deduction for long term insurance.

In April of this year, he unveiled new legislation to support families dealing with autism spectrum disorders.  The Helping HANDS for Autism Act is a three-part legislative package that includes a program to guide families seeking services and care, increased public awareness and housing for adults with ASD.  At 1 in 94 children diagnosed with ASD, New Jersey has the highest rate in the nation.

Fefferman’s remarks were well received by the audience, as many volunteers on the Coalition are passionate advocates who work to create positive change around caregiving issues.