ADVOCACY IS THE BEST POLICY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

SUCCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY

DR. AMY THOMPSON

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO

NATIONAL PRESIDENT

ETA SIGMA GAMMA

OBJECTIVES Describe various methods of advocacy.

Explain the role that health educators have in advocacy and public policy.

Describe the legislative process.

Generate various methods of advocacy in response to various advocacy scenarios.

Identify various tools and resources that can be used to advocate by health educators.

WHAT IS ADVOCACY?

WHAT IS ADVOCACY?

Actively working to change the social, political, legal, economic, and medical environment.

Derived from Latin word advocatus, which means “one who gives voice”.

World Health Organization definition◦Any combination of individual and social

actions designed to gain political commitment, support, social acceptance, and systems support for a particular health goal or program.

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF ADVOCACY………..

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF ADVOCACY………..

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF ADVOCACY………..

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SHAPE POLICY

ARE YOU AN ADVOCATE?...

Have you worked on implementing a health-related policy at your workplace or community?

Have you helped draft or pass a resolution on behalf of a professional organization?

Have you had a class project where you worked on advocacy related activities?

ARE YOU AN ADVOCATE?.....

Have you ever met with administrators regarding the importance of school health?

Have you ever provided public testimony at a school board meeting or legislative meeting?

Have you voted in an election or forwarded health policy information to another student or colleague?

PAIRSHARE-WHERE ARE YOU ON THE ADVOCACY STAGE OF CHANGE CONTINUUM??

I have never thought about being involved in advocacy.

I am currently thinking about engaging in advocacy related activities.

I am planning on engaging in advocacy related activities in the near future.

I am currently engaging in advocacy related activities.

I used to engage in advocacy related activities but no longer do so.

NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD; INDEED IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS.

MARGARET MEAD

YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

GANDHI

ADVOCACY AND HEALTH EDUCATORS RESPONSIBILITY I ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY

NEEDS FOR HEALTH EDUCATION.

RESPONSIBILITY II PLANNING HEALTH EDUCATION STRATEGIES INTEVENTIONS AND PROGRAMS.

RESPONSIBILITY III IMPLEMENTING HEALTH STRATEGOES, INTERVENTIONS, AND PROGRAMS.

RESPONSIBILITY IV CONDUCT EVALUATION AND RESEARCH RELATED TO HEALTH EDUCATION.

RESPONSIBILITY V ADMINISTER HEALTH EDUCATION STRATEGIES, INTERVENTION, AND

PROGRAMS.

RESPONSIBILITY VI SERVE AS A RESOURCE PERSON IN HEALTH EDUCATION.

RESPONSIBILITY VIICOMMUNICATE AND ADVOCATE FOR HEALTH AND HEALTH EDUCATION.

PUBLIC POLICY INVOLVEMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATORS

Holtrop, Summers, Price and Boardley (2000)

-National survey of 547 Health Educators

-98% of sample indicated perceived barriers to Public Policy Involvement

-Leading Barriers were

a.) Lack of time

b.) Other priorities

c.) Frustration with the process

PUBLIC POLICY INVOLVEMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATORS

The most commonly reported Advocacy Activities were:

-Voted (86%)

-Contacted a public official (65%)

-Provided policy related information (59%)

-Worked on a Coalition (50%)

-Gave Money (48%)

-Used Media (25%)

LOBBYING VS ADVOCACY People sometimes confuse the words "lobbying" and

"advocacy.“

Lobbying is one form of advocacy, comprising efforts to influence specific legislation with legislators and their staff.

Advocacy covers a much broader range of activities such as influencing executive branch actions to implement the laws and public education.

One way of differentiating between the two terms is to understand that lobbying always involves advocacy but advocacy does not necessarily involve lobbying.

TRUE OR FALSE

I work for a non-profit organization and therefore I cannot personally participate in a candidates campaign for elected office?

My non-profit organization cannot inform political candidates of their position on key issues and urge the candidate to go on record in support of our organizations position?

I want to go to a state lobby day. I work for the health department. I can apply for work travel funds to attend this event.

UNDER THE ANTI-LOBBYING ACT, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AS PART OF THEIR OFFICIAL WORK MAY NOT

Engage in substantial 'grass roots' lobbying campaigns of telegrams, letters, and forms of communication expressly urging individuals to contact government officials in support of or opposition to specific legislation.

Prepare editorials or other communications that will be disseminated without an accurate disclosure of the government's role in their origin.

Appeal to members of the public to contact their elected representatives in support of or opposition to legislative matters or proposals.

HOW DOES POLITICS EFFECT HEALTH?

WE HAVE COME ALONG WAY BABY

Remember when you could smoke on an Airplane??

REMEMBER WHEN WE COULD SMOKE IN OTHER PLACES LIKE BARS AND RESTAURANTS

OTHER ADVOCACY ISSUES

EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY REQUIRES…

Reasoned passion;

Knowledge of politics;

Knowledge of the practice of advocacy;

Knowledge of the issue;

Skill in advocating your issue;

Keen sense of timing; and

Perseverance.

PROCESSES TO INFLUENCE

Legislative Process

-Where laws are made

Regulatory Process

-where rules are made

-where laws are implemented

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES

Executive orders

Laws

Ordinances

Polices

Position Statements

ADVOCACY LEVELS

Federal

-Legislators

-Regulatory Bodies

State

-Legislators

-Regulatory Bodies (Department of Health)

Local

-City Council

-School Boards

ADVOCACY ACTIVITY

Please form groups of 5-6.

Each group will be given a scenario. As

a group please discuss your scenario and generate ways to incorporate advocacy into the example you are given.

Be prepared to have a member of your group report on your suggestions

SCENARIO #1

You are the newly hired program director for a worksite wellness site of a major company. As a condition of employment, you are told that in order for your program to continue receiving funding you have one year to demonstrate that your program is beneficial. Although many people believe advocacy to solely be political how could you implement some of the advocacy strategies presented to further advance and maintain your program.

SCENARIO #2

As a health educator for a local health department, you observe firsthand the impact obesity has on your community. At a community obesity reduction coalition meeting you are approached to lead an effort to help implement a city-wide initiative to make the city more walkable and bikeable. What advocacy strategies might be appropriate to ensure your success of making the city more accessible for physical activity?

SCENARIO #3 As an injury prevention specialist for a local

health department, you observe firsthand the impact unintentional injury has on your community. You are particularly concerned with the number of injuries that youth incur from riding their bicycles. You have heard about other communities who have implemented a mandatory bicycle helmet ordinance and think implementing a similar piece of legislation may help reduce the number of youth hospital visits. What advocacy strategies might be appropriate to ensure your success of implementing such an ordinance?

SCENARIO #4

You are the coordinator for a community after-school program that helps reduce youth violence and assists at-risk students with their homework while also providing a nutritious snack. You read in your local newspaper that in order to help balance the state budget that the Senate Education Committee is going to remove any state funding for after-school programs. If this occurs, your program as well as other throughout the state will not have enough funding to remain operating. What advocacy strategies might be appropriate to help ensure that funding for your program does not get cut?

SCENARIO #5

You are a parent of a 6th grader who attends the local neighborhood public school. As a result of changes made by your school superintendent all elementary and middle schools are combined making these schools k-8. As a result of this restructuring all middle school health teachers are reassigned to other teaching duties so health education is not provided until high school. What advocacy strategies could you use to create awareness about this or how can you help to change the current policy.

HOW DOES ADVOCACY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Does “The squeaky wheel get the grease”?

Examples:

• CDC Funding of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Advocacy resulted in $4.5mil. awareness campaign, shift in CDC priorities

• State Tobacco Control Laws

• The Affordable Health Care Act

• Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure: Now world’s largest grassroots network. http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm

SAMPLE ADVOCACY GROUPS

Planned Parenthood Action Network: pro-choice, pro-contraception.(Walmart and EC now) www.plannedparenthood.org/action/

American Civil Liberties Union

APHA: Advocacy section of their website contains many issues; www.apha.org

MORE ADVOCACY GROUPS/ISSUES

Human Rights Campaign-gay rights group www.hrc.org Working on a federal hate crimes law.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS) www.siecus.org advocates for comprehensive sexuality education

TIPS FOR MEETING WITH POLICY MAKERS KISS Have your facts straight. Be on time, polite, and patient. If you go in group introduce each person and note what

each persons connection is to policy maker. Make the issue personal. Be a resource. Thank them for meeting you. Report back to organization you advocated on behalf of. Continue relationship with policy makers. Provide opportunities for positive publicity.

MEASURING THE SUCCESS OF ADVOCACY Just because a topic disappears from the radar doesn’t mean it’s

a failure.

Success can be measure without achieving the goal.

Capacity and awareness building.

Stages of Change

Training and empowering of future advocates.

Changes in social norming.

Logging contacts with policy makers (process).

SHARE YOUR SUCCESS STORIES

NATIONAL ADVOCACY PRIORITIES http://www.apha.org/advocacy/priorities/

http://www.sophe.org/advocacy_priorities.cfm

http://www.ashaweb.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3303

HOW CAN I TRACK LEGISLATION

State

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(gyvtwuu5a4d1i2nirgiebq45))/mileg.aspx?page=home

Federal

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS

HEALTH ADVOCACY SUMMIT

1. Advancing Social Justice, Equal Opportunity & Community

Well-being

2. The Value of Investing in Prevention

3. Elevating Health Education and Physical Education

http://www.sophe.org/advocacysummit.cfml

FINAL THOUGHT……

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that

matter.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

REMEMBER…………