Orientation: Before You Begin
Everything you need to know to get the most out of the ICAPA Legislative Advocacy Library. No prior knowledge required.
This library was built for advocates like you.
The ICAPA Legislative Advocacy Library is a free, self-guided training program designed to turn passionate people into effective advocates. Whether you are a survivor of institutional child abuse, a family member, a social worker, a student, or a concerned citizen, this library gives you the tools to go from knowing something is wrong to doing something about it at the legislative level.
This course is rooted in ICAPA's real advocacy work. Every tool, template, and case study in this library comes from campaigns that actually happened, including the fight that resulted in the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act being signed into federal law on December 24, 2024. This is not theory. This is how it works.
You do not need to take the six sessions in order, but we recommend starting with Session 1 and working through the material sequentially. Each session builds on the last, and by the end you will have the foundation of a real legislative campaign and a Pitch Deck you can take into a legislator's office.
Survivors and advocates are the most powerful force for legislative change. When lived experience meets the knowledge of how to navigate the system, nothing is more compelling to a lawmaker.Chelsea Filer, ICAPA Network
What You Will Build
By the time you complete all six sessions, you will have produced a set of real advocacy tools you can immediately put to use. This is not busywork. These are the actual materials ICAPA uses when meeting with legislators.
A visual presentation of your issue, your proposed solution, and your ask. The single most useful document you will bring into a legislator's office. Built in Session 1, refined throughout the course.
A written and rehearsed personal testimony: a quick "Me Too" statement under 30 seconds, a one-minute version, and a full 5 to 10 minute version. You will also prepare a "tough questions" sheet.
A formal policy memo outlining the problem and your proposed legislative solution. A one-page fact sheet that distills your issue for lawmakers and their staff who have very limited time.
A visual power map of the political landscape around your issue: who your allies are, who your opponents are, and where the leverage points are. Plus an optional draft of your own bill.
A full written campaign strategy incorporating your legislative research, coalition-building plan, social media strategy, and timeline. This section gets incorporated into your Pitch Deck.
A complete press release, a media outreach plan, and if your campaign is ready, a plan for a press conference or rally. Session 6 prepares you for the public-facing moments of a campaign.
The Pitch Deck you begin building in Session 1 is not a one-time assignment. It is a living document that grows with every session. By Session 6 Graduation, it contains your issue, your solution, your testimony, your fact sheet, your power map, and your campaign plan, all in one presentation you can hand to a legislator and leave behind.
Knowledge of the legislative process is not a privilege reserved for lobbyists and insiders. It belongs to every constituent who is willing to show up and use it.
Chelsea Filer · ICAPA Network
The Six Sessions at a Glance
Each session builds on the previous one. The course moves from foundational knowledge in Sessions 1 through 3, through applied research and strategy in Sessions 4 and 5, to public action in Session 6.
Lays the foundation for everything that follows. Covers how the three branches of government function, how a bill becomes law at the state and federal level, what a lobbyist actually is, your power as a constituent, and how SICAA proves that ordinary people with the right knowledge can change federal law. Includes your first deep dive into institutional child abuse and the Troubled Teen Industry.
Moves from knowledge to action. Covers how to write effective letters of support and opposition, how to craft constituent emails that get read, how to write and submit an open letter, and how to organize petitions and mobilize community support. The centerpiece is testimony: how to write it, how to time it, and how to present it under pressure in a formal hearing setting.
The pivot point of the course. You define your issue with precision, decide whether to support existing legislation or write your own, and begin thinking seriously about state versus federal strategy. By the end of Session 3, you will have produced a formal policy memo and a one-page fact sheet: the two documents that demonstrate to legislators and their staff that you have done the work.
Goes deep into legislative research: how to find, read, and audit existing laws at the state and federal level, how to track a bill through the process, and how to map the political landscape so you know exactly where to apply pressure. Also covers how to identify and research your ideal bill sponsor, and includes an optional exercise to draft your own bill.
Covers the political and interpersonal dimensions of a campaign. How to build and maintain relationships with legislators and their staff. How to build a coalition of organizations and individuals around your issue. How to plan and execute a social media strategy that drives constituent contact. How to mass-mobilize at the state and federal level. Everything gets incorporated into your Pitch Deck.
The final session covers the public-facing moments of a campaign. How to write a press release that gets picked up. How to run a press conference. How to execute a media outreach campaign. How to organize a rally. And how to prepare for Hill Day: the culminating moment when you take everything you have built and walk into a legislator's office. Session 6 graduates present their completed Pitch Deck.
How to Use This Library
Each session has a dedicated page with instructional content, reference materials, exercises, and a discussion section where you can ask questions and connect with other advocates. Work through the sessions in order or jump to the one most relevant to where you are right now.
All reading materials, exercises, deep dives, case studies, and student research papers from completed sessions are indexed in the Reference Library. You do not need to follow the course in sequence to use these resources. Browse by topic, session, or format.
Every session includes practical exercises and templates. The goal is not to read about advocacy. It is to practice it. The exercises are designed to simulate real situations: filling out a legislative research worksheet for your state, timing a testimony, drafting a policy memo.
Every session page has a comment section for registered community members. Ask questions, share what you have learned about your state's process, post your testimony for feedback, or connect with other advocates working on similar issues. Register for a free account to participate.
The Advocacy Kit
As you work through the sessions, you will build a personal Advocacy Kit: a set of materials you can use in any meeting with a legislator, at any hearing, in any media appearance, or in any organizing situation. By Graduation, your kit is complete and ready to use.
Built across all six sessions using real templates drawn from ICAPA's campaigns.
- Pitch Deck presenting your issue and your ask
- Personal testimony in three formats: 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 to 10 minutes
- Formal policy memo and one-page fact sheet
- Power map of your political landscape
- Legislative research worksheet for your state
- Campaign plan with social media and coalition strategy
- Press release ready for distribution
- Optional: draft of your own bill
Institutional Child Abuse and the Troubled Teen Industry
This library was built specifically for advocates working to end institutional child abuse, particularly the abuse that occurs in the Troubled Teen Industry. The TTI is a multi-billion dollar network of wilderness programs, residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, and boot camps that operates largely without federal oversight and with minimal state regulation.
Children as young as five can be placed in these programs against their will. Survivors document systematic abuse including physical restraint, isolation, food and sleep deprivation, and psychological coercion. Because these programs operate across state lines, no single state can regulate them effectively. Federal legislation is the only comprehensive solution.
While the course is designed specifically around institutional child abuse prevention, the advocacy tools, templates, and strategies in this library apply to any legislative issue. If you are advocating for a different cause, you are still welcome here. The skills are universal.
Join the Conversation
Register for a free ICAPA advocate account to participate in discussion sections, ask questions, and connect with others working toward the same goal. Free. No spam. Cancel any time.