LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

Find your legislator:
Who Represents Me? NYC
Website with easy search engine to find all your city, state, and federal representatives.
http://www.cmap.nypirg.org/netmaps/MyGovernment/NYC/MyGovernmentNYC.asp

Representative Websites
Website that allow you to find your individual representative.
 
US President: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/
US Representatives: http://www.house.gov/
NY State Governor: http://www.ny.gov/governor
NYC Mayor:  
http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.beb0d8fdaa9e1607a62fa24601c789a0/
NYC Public Advocate: http://pubadvocate.nyc.gov/
NYC Comptroller: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/
Borough President:  
• Bronx: http://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/
• Brooklyn: http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/
• Manhattan: http://www.mbpo.org/
• Staten Island: http://www.statenislandusa.com/
• Queens: http://www.queensbp.org/
NY Assembly: http://assembly.state.ny.us/
NY Senate: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/home?openform
NY Council: http://council.nyc.gov/


Useful Websites:

Citizens Committee for Children
New York City's oldest city-based, multi-issue child advocacy organization. This site offers alerts and facts about kids in NYC.
http://www.cccnewyork.org

HITE (Health Information Tool for Empowerment)
Online directory of health and social services specifically for uninsured and under-insured New Yorkers.
http://www.hitesite.org

LawHelp.org
LawHelp contains information, in English & Spanish, to help people with low and moderate incomes find legal resources in their community.
http://www.lawhelp.org


Sample Advocacy Letters:
Samplet letters used by providers to request services for their patients.

Letters should contain the following key points:

1) Specific nature of the problem
2) The law or requirement that applies to the problem
3) How the specific problem relates to the patient’s medical condition
4) Specific consequences of the diagnosis (i.e. ER visits)
5) Request for action on the part of the landlord

Please:
1) Put a copy of your letter in the medical folder.
2) Give a copy of the letter to the family.
3) If you are sending a copy of the letter to another agency (e.g. school principal), get written permission from the patient's guardian to disclose the relevant medical information.
4) Forward one copy to the appropriate legal service. Get written permission from the patient's guardian to disclose relevant medical information to the legal service.

Sample letters:

Developmental Evaluation by School
IEP compliance
Lead abatement request
Mold removal request
Smoke alarm request
SSI benefits
Window guards request