Ethan Hayes & Kaylin ShampoEthan Hayes & Kaylin Shampo

What is Advocacy?What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is arguing in favor of Advocacy is arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or something, such as a cause, idea, or policy. policy.

Advocacy occurs when an individual Advocacy occurs when an individual engages in dialogue about an issue they engages in dialogue about an issue they care about. It can occur in many forms - - care about. It can occur in many forms - - speaking out, letter writing, protesting, speaking out, letter writing, protesting, voting, and even wearing a t-shirt that voting, and even wearing a t-shirt that makes a statement. makes a statement.

3 Major Types of 3 Major Types of AdvocacyAdvocacy

IndividualIndividual SystemsSystems GrassrootsGrassroots

Advocacy DefinedAdvocacy Defined

Individual: Teaching individuals how to Individual: Teaching individuals how to communicate to obtain necessary support communicate to obtain necessary support services from the community, as well as services from the community, as well as providing advocacy services.providing advocacy services.

Systems: Directly advocating for changes in Systems: Directly advocating for changes in the local, state, and federal systems that the local, state, and federal systems that impact people with disabilities.impact people with disabilities.

Grassroots: Groups made up of every day Grassroots: Groups made up of every day citizens who want to take action to solve issues citizens who want to take action to solve issues facing their community. facing their community.

Individual AdvocacyIndividual Advocacy

Help people learn how to speak for Help people learn how to speak for themselvesthemselves

Build skills and self-esteem to enable Build skills and self-esteem to enable individuals to ask for what they needindividuals to ask for what they need

Develop skills so persons with disabilities Develop skills so persons with disabilities can impact local, state, and national can impact local, state, and national disability policiesdisability policies

Examples of Individual Examples of Individual AdvocacyAdvocacy

Work with a consumer on a plan to Work with a consumer on a plan to become their own payeebecome their own payee

Help an individual who feels they no Help an individual who feels they no longer need a guardian longer need a guardian

Work with a parent to help regain custody Work with a parent to help regain custody of their children who were put in the of their children who were put in the foster care system during a time of foster care system during a time of mental health crisismental health crisis

DiscussionDiscussion

What types of individual advocacy have you What types of individual advocacy have you done?done?

What are some of the barriers to successful What are some of the barriers to successful advocacy at the individual level?advocacy at the individual level?

What would you like to learn about individual What would you like to learn about individual advocacy?advocacy?

How can an ILC improve the quantity and How can an ILC improve the quantity and quality of individual advocacy?quality of individual advocacy?

Systems AdvocacySystems Advocacy

ILC’s work in collaboration with other service ILC’s work in collaboration with other service organizations, people with disabilities (PWD), organizations, people with disabilities (PWD), and the community to influence change at the and the community to influence change at the local, state, and federal levels.local, state, and federal levels.

ILC’s recognize the importance of PWD playing ILC’s recognize the importance of PWD playing a role in policy making. ILC’s work hard to get a role in policy making. ILC’s work hard to get PWD involved and to get them to vote. PWD involved and to get them to vote.

ILC’s have well developed relationships with ILC’s have well developed relationships with federal and state legislators and local federal and state legislators and local governmental representatives. governmental representatives.

Examples of Systems Examples of Systems AdvocacyAdvocacy

Lack of dental care for persons on MALack of dental care for persons on MA Lack of housing and resources for Lack of housing and resources for

persons who are homeless persons who are homeless Guarantee consumer involvement in Guarantee consumer involvement in

long-term care redesignlong-term care redesign Mental Health Parity Mental Health Parity

DiscussionDiscussion

What types of systems advocacy have What types of systems advocacy have you done?you done?

What are some of the barriers you have What are some of the barriers you have experienced with systems advocacy?experienced with systems advocacy?

How can our centers be more involved How can our centers be more involved with systems advocacy?with systems advocacy?

Grassroots AdvocacyGrassroots Advocacy Work with local community members to identify Work with local community members to identify

local issues most important to its members and local issues most important to its members and communities. communities.

Address issues in a number of ways, including Address issues in a number of ways, including educating the public and policy makers, educating the public and policy makers, building community partnerships, and drawing building community partnerships, and drawing media support for issues facing the community. media support for issues facing the community.

Educate and empower local citizens on Educate and empower local citizens on important policy matters. important policy matters.

Examples of Grassroots Examples of Grassroots AdvocacyAdvocacy

A local group getting their city to install A local group getting their city to install curb cuts.curb cuts.

Attending rallies and events that support Attending rallies and events that support policy changes that assist people with policy changes that assist people with disabilities.disabilities.

Collaborating with individuals in power to Collaborating with individuals in power to address issues in direct ways. address issues in direct ways.

DiscussionDiscussion

What types of grassroots advocacy have What types of grassroots advocacy have you done or seen done at your center?you done or seen done at your center?

What are some of the potential barriers to What are some of the potential barriers to successful grassroots advocacy?successful grassroots advocacy?

How can IL staff educate and encourage How can IL staff educate and encourage consumers to get involved with consumers to get involved with grassroots activities and groups?grassroots activities and groups?

How to Pitch Advocacy to How to Pitch Advocacy to ConsumersConsumers

Identify possible areas of interest that Identify possible areas of interest that consumer might feel strongly enough consumer might feel strongly enough about to take a stand.about to take a stand.

Carry Carry LOTSLOTS of brochures outlining the of brochures outlining the advocacy opportunities at your ILC and advocacy opportunities at your ILC and how they can get involved. how they can get involved.

Signs of Successful Signs of Successful AdvocacyAdvocacy

Group has created clear, measurable goals. Group has created clear, measurable goals. Participation by a variety of different members Participation by a variety of different members

of the community – people with and without of the community – people with and without disabilities. disabilities.

Extensive knowledge of whom you are trying to Extensive knowledge of whom you are trying to reach and what moves them.reach and what moves them.

Compelling messages that connect with your Compelling messages that connect with your target audience.target audience.

Additional signs of successful advocacy?Additional signs of successful advocacy?

Signs of Faltering Signs of Faltering AdvocacyAdvocacy

Lack of agreement on goals and issues Lack of agreement on goals and issues that need attention. that need attention.

Insufficient interest regarding specific Insufficient interest regarding specific issues that are trying to be worked on. issues that are trying to be worked on.

Lack of participation and follow through.Lack of participation and follow through. Poor communication.Poor communication. Other signs of faltering advocacy? Other signs of faltering advocacy?

Barriers to AdvocacyBarriers to Advocacy

What are some of the real and perceived What are some of the real and perceived barriers to creating and sustaining strong barriers to creating and sustaining strong advocacy? advocacy?

Fee-For-Service as a Fee-For-Service as a Barrier to AdvocacyBarrier to Advocacy

When doing fee-for-service work for another When doing fee-for-service work for another agency it can be easy to forget that our agency it can be easy to forget that our responsibility is to advocate for the responsibility is to advocate for the consumerconsumer. .

If a consumer is having difficulty with an If a consumer is having difficulty with an agency or accessing a service they need, it is agency or accessing a service they need, it is our job to advocate for them, and help them our job to advocate for them, and help them learn how to advocate for themselves!learn how to advocate for themselves!

Examples of this barrier in your experience?Examples of this barrier in your experience?

Sharing Consumer Sharing Consumer StoriesStories

You don’t need to be an expertYou don’t need to be an expert to be to be an advocate, you just need to tell your an advocate, you just need to tell your story or the story of someone you have story or the story of someone you have worked with, effectivelyworked with, effectively

Real stories change hearts and minds—use yours to illustrate the need for services for people with disabilities Your story is always right Your lived experience has value and meaning You don’t have to have all the answers—just a clear

“ask”

Tips for Telling A Powerful Tips for Telling A Powerful StoryStory

Legislators are not therapists…Legislators are not therapists… Keep your story brief Keep your story brief (aim for a minute or two—or even less) (aim for a minute or two—or even less)

Illustrate a pointIllustrate a point

Make a clear “ask”Make a clear “ask”

Remember that positive concepts like hope Remember that positive concepts like hope and recovery are powerful motivatorsand recovery are powerful motivators

Practice Telling A Practice Telling A Consumer Story!Consumer Story!

Partner up with someone and take a few Partner up with someone and take a few minutes to tell each other a powerful minutes to tell each other a powerful story you know about a consumer you story you know about a consumer you have worked with.have worked with. Try to think of a story that would motivate a Try to think of a story that would motivate a

legislator to take action.legislator to take action. Remember to keep it concise and to the Remember to keep it concise and to the

point!point!

ResourcesResources

National Alliance on Mental Illness National Alliance on Mental Illness (Nami),(Nami),Telling Your Story; Telling Your Story; http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=tools_for_leaderssection=tools_for_leaders