Effective Advocacy – Making Every Voice Count!, 3.0 CE
Friday, January 23rd, 2026 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM EST on Zoom
Presented by Sheila Schuster, PhD & Kelly Taulbee
with Kentucky State Representatives Dr. Lisa Willner and Dr. Kim Banta

Click here to register!

Legislative advocacy – changing public policy to improve people’s lives – is important for health and mental health professionals, consumers, family members and community advocates. The legislative process - state and local - and ways to make policy change happen through advocacy will be described from the perspective of an experienced lobbyist/psychologist, policy analyst/advocate and legislators who knows Frankfort and local policy well. Questions to be addressed: “How can I make my voice be heard? Why get into the game? How can I become a player? How can I influence the outcome?” Skill Level: Beginning

Workshop Objectives

Based on the content of this workshop, attendees will be able to...

• Describe the “inner workings” of the legislative process at both state and local levels and identify the most effective communications and approaches with legislators and other policy-makers to achieve success.
• List the context of the upcoming 2026 Kentucky General Assembly session and the issues likely to be of primary focus, such as assuring the availability of services and supports for those with disabilities; issues of racial inequity and social justice which impact our most vulnerable Kentuckians; measures to improve the health of the Commonwealth and to assure equity in access to healthcare; and improving the mental health of our children and youth.
• Describe various methods of educating policy-makers at both state and local levels on issues of concern, generating the advocacy arguments that advocates’ priorities suggest, and the contributions that various stakeholders can make in mounting successful advocacy campaigns and working in partnership with policy-makers.

About the Presenters

Sheila A. Schuster, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who served for many years as the Federal Advocacy Coordinator and Legislative Liaison for the KY Psychological Association. Dr. Schuster also represents a number of mental health and health care organizations in Frankfort. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Advocacy Action Network, an umbrella organization encompassing the work of the KY Mental Health Coalition, and the United 874K Disabilities Coalition. Dr. Schuster also serves as Board Chair of Kentucky Voices for Health, a statewide coalition whose mission is to improve the health of Kentuckians.

Kelly Taulbee is Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships at Kentucky Voices for Health. Prior to joining KVH in 2020, Kelly gained more than 13 years of experience in Kentucky state and local government sectors. Some of her previous roles include serving as Special Advisor to Louisville Metro Government, Policy Advisor for the House Democratic Caucus of Kentucky, Legislative Aide in former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s Office for Legislative Affairs, and lobbying for Goss Samford PLLC. Kelly is a 2008 graduate of Centre College, and she and her husband John are lifelong Kentuckians, raising their three young children in Anderson County.

Lisa Willner, Ph.D., is a graduate of Yale University and received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. Lisa is a strong advocate for mental health issues and until recently served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Psychology Association. Lisa also taught in the Psychology Department at Bellarmine University for nearly 20 years. Lisa was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2018. Since she began serving in 2019, she has served on the Education, Health and Family Services, Appropriations & Revenue Committees, and Medicaid Oversight Committees, as well as several legislative task forces.  She was the primary author of Trauma-Informed Schools legislation, and has worked on numerous mental health, public education, public safety, and maternal health initiatives.  She serves as chair of the House Democratic Women's Caucus.

Representative Kim Banta: 63rd District House Representative. Born January 17, 1964. Ret Educator. Catholic. UofL, EdD Leadership. Republican Women's Club.

Audience

This workshop is appropriate for Psychologists, Social Workers, Other Mental Health Professionals.

Registration Fees

Click here to register!