As you are aware, NABITA has been working with Congress to pass the BIG Act. The bill essentially asks the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to create voluntary guidelines and best practices for the operation of Behavioral Intervention Teams (BITs). NABITA has also used this opportunity to spread the value of BITs across Capitol Hill and sell why BITs are so important to schools like yours. To continue these efforts, we need your help.
Senators represent the interests of their constituents and each of you can help them understand the interest you have in BITS and the value BITs have brought your school. If you would be interested in communicating with your home state Senators’ office, please reach out to Jen Taylor at jen.taylor@nabita.org and we will have someone from our team reach out to you.
We understand that for many of you, lobbying for legislation is not permitted as a school or state employee. To be clear, we are not asking you to lobby on behalf of any legislation – we are asking you to speak about BITs and why they work so well at your institution. NABITA staff will join you in the meeting to clarify what you will be speaking on and to field any questions specifically about legislation. We are looking for experts in the operations of BITs who can explain their function, share their perspective about these teams, and explain why they are important.
Congressional offices put great emphasis on learning about programs from stakeholders within the state. Having someone from a home state university explain how they operate a BIT and how it has been successful helps them to better conceptualize how BITs benefit the individuals in their state.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any additional questions or further clarification. We value the work you are doing and appreciate any assistance you can offer in helping us advocate for BITs at a national level.