Your Voice Matters!
As someone who loves or cares for a person facing a mental health, substance use, or problem gambling challenge, your voice plays a critical role in policy and legislative discussions concerning issues that impact you or your loved one. Maryland Coalition of Families strives to be the voice of Maryland families and we want to help you develop and use your voice for change. Elevating family voice is a responsibility we take very seriously.
There are many ways to use your voice and the power of your story to create change.
- Attend our annual Family Day in Annapolis, when we bring families from across Maryland to the state capitol to meet with their elected representatives to share their stories and elevate their voice.
- Serve on a state or local committee, commission, or workgroup that addresses systems-level issues.
- Provide written or oral testimony on proposed legislation that impacts you and your family.
- Attend focus groups and respond to surveys intended to elicit your opinion to inform policy and legislation.
- Stay up to date on things happening in Annapolis by signing up for our Advocacy Action Alerts! Just complete the Sign Up for Updates fields at the bottom of this page.
There are so many ways to make your voice heard! If you have questions, suggestions, or want more information, please contact our Policy and Advocacy Manager, Ashley Tauler.
Testifying before legislators in committee hearings is a crucial time in the lifespan of a bill! There are two ways to provide testimony - in writing or verbally either in person or virtually before the committee members. Testifying is the way you can make your voice heard and impact the next steps a bill will take on its way to becoming a law!
The first step is to create an account on the Maryland General Assembly website through which you will submit written testimony or sign up to deliver verbal testimony. It’s quite simple if you follow these step-by-step instructions.