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Procedure for Responding to Requests for Advocacy Assistance

Approved July 8, 2006

When individuals, whether ACB members, or members of the public, request assistance from ACB with legal/advocacy matters, it is important that such requests be handled as speedily and efficiently as possible.  With that in mind, the following procedure is recommended to the Advocacy Services Committee and the ACB board of directors:

  1. When a staff member or an officer of ACB becomes aware of a request for legal/advocacy assistance which merits attention by ACB, that individual will report the matter to the ACB president or the ACB executive director;
  2. The ACB president, or the executive director shall review the situation and if he/she deems it appropriate, shall refer the matter to the entire Advocacy Services Committee;
  3. The chair of the Advocacy Services Committee will either convene a meeting of the entire committee within five days, or if such a meeting cannot be arranged, convene a meeting with a subcommittee consisting of the committee chair, either the executive director or the director of advocacy and governmental affairs, and one other member of the Advocacy Services Committee.  This group will discuss the best way to respond to the request and decide who will be responsible for implementing the response on behalf of ACB;
  4. The chair of the Advocacy Services Committee (the president of ACB) will then advise the other members of the Advocacy Services Committee, as well as the officers and members of ACB’s board of directors and presidents of appropriate state and special interest affiliates, of the decisions made by the subcommittee described above so that individuals with an interest in the situation will know who to go to for information or to offer assistance;
  5. As soon as possible thereafter, the Advocacy Services Committee will convene in order to ratify the subcommittee’s decision, receive an update from the person(s) designated to implement ACB’s response, and make any further decisions that are necessary to insure the appropriate response to the situation on an ongoing basis.