By Lynn Linde

Looking at the current political landscape, it's almost hard to remember the excitement that gripped the country last year as we moved toward a historic presidential election. So where are we a year later? Certainly, skepticism has largely replaced enthusiasm as politicians try to end the deepening recession and return America - and the rest of the world - to prosperity. Every day through their clients, counselors see how hard things are for so many people. But folks who are trying to keep it together aren't necessarily concerned about politics, and that's what makes public policy so hard. It isn't a just-once-every-four-years process but an every-day-of-every-year process. And public policy is personal.

I grew up in a house where politics weren't terribly important, and they certainly weren't discussed around the dinner table. As a result, I didn't think I needed to be knowledgeable. I voted the same way many people did - by reading the recommendations of various groups and then deciding on my choices. It was to my own great surprise when I became involved in public policy activities as past president of the Maryland Association for Counseling and Development. MACD decided it was time to pursue licensure again, and I agreed to chair the committee. I spent a lot of time that year in Maryland's capital of Annapolis, testifying on behalf of the association, making contacts with legislators and generally learning how public policy evolves. I found that I enjoyed public policy, which turned out to be serendipitous.

When I became the branch chief of Student Services at the Maryland State Department of Education, I spent a significant amount of time in Annapolis testifying and working with legislators on crafting legislation and policy. I saw firsthand the influence that constituents and advocacy groups, including counselors, could exert. And I developed a more personal relationship with my elected officials.

I remember, too, the first time I visited the offices of my congressman and senators in Washington, D.C., as part of the ACA Legislative Institute many years ago. Walking the halls of the House and Senate buildings evoked an awe-inspiring feeling. My fellow participants and I made our way from office to office, sharing why counselors are so critical to the nation's mental health. In the process, I learned to appreciate the power of bringing counselors to the halls of Congress.

This past July, as part of its Institute for Leadership Training, the American Counseling Association took more than 125 counselors to Capitol Hill to lobby our elected officials on Medicare and other issues. I believe that every time we have a sizable group of counselors in the D.C. area, we need to visit our elected officials and educate them on the current and future needs of counselors and our clients.

When my daughter was in high school, she was fascinated by my political activities and asked if I would talk to her government class. I had second thoughts upon learning that I would be speaking the last period before the Thanksgiving break. But I quickly remembered that every 10th-grader cares about driving, so after introducing the topic, I talked about the bills in the state Legislature that would change the driving age in Maryland. The student who was the most disruptive finally looked at me and said, "Do you mean these folks can pass bills that affect us and we have nothing to say about it?" I knew I had captured their interest. It was one of those teachable moments.

My husband, who is a principal, came home from his association's leadership institute this summer after their trip to the Hill and said he understood what a right and a responsibility we have to interact with our legislators. Politics is all about relationships. We, as counselors, have the skills for effective advocacy. And we do have the right to have a say about what happens to us. I encourage each of you to accept the responsibility to advocate on behalf of our profession and our clients.