IECMHC TOOLKIT
The Client
The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WIAAP) is a professional organization for pediatricians throughout the state of Wisconsin. As part of their mission to support children and families throughout Wisconsin, they worked with the Department of Health Services in Wisconsin to champion the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) program. This program, if adopted by the state, will offer real-time support for physicians managing mental health diagnosis and treatment from trained professionals to help ensure better outcomes for patients in Wisconsin.
THE REQUEST
In order for the program to receive funding from the state, WIAAP needed help getting tools and resources to physicians and community members throughout Wisconsin to encourage lawmakers to include the program in the new annual budget. We needed to develop an accessible way to help those interested in championing the organization build awareness in their local communities.
THE STRATEGY
Together, we developed a self-guided lobbying toolkit that included customizable collateral that shares important information on the mental health needs of children and families in Wisconsin and that provided key information on how IECMHC would help meet these needs. The toolkit included:
- Detailed use instructions
- A quick facts poster on mental health
- Sharable flyers about the program
- Social media posts and graphics
- A customizable press release, Op-Ed, and letter to legislators
- An FAQ and PowerPoint Deck
- Testimonials
- An email template
THE OUTCOME
Physicians, mental health professionals, healthcare professionals, and families throughout Wisconsin were able to effectively use these tools to draw state attention to the program. This level of grassroots outreach caught the eye of key lawmakers and the program is now has traction with the state. The toolkit also received a Gold Communicator Award for Best Marketing Campaign by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.
