GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY 101What you need to know to speak up for the health of your community!

Alex Harris, MSPH

Grassroots Advocacy Manager for Special Populations, NACHC

AGENDA1. What is advocacy and why is it important?2. What are some ways to begin building a

culture of advocacy at your organization?3. What are some rules to keep in mind

regarding advocacy?4. What are some steps to create an action

plan?

Expressing your voice in support of a cause or mission, such as the Health Center mission, by spreading the word and taking action.

ADVOCACY IS . . .

The World Health Organization (WHO, 1995) describes advocacy for health as a ‘combination of individual and social actions designed to gain political commitment, policy support, social acceptance and systems support for a particular health goal or programme’

WHY IS ADVOCACY IMPORTANT?

GOVERNMENT DECISIONS IMPACT HEALTH CENTERS DIRECTLY.

THEY ALSO IMPACT NON-PROFITS AS A WHOLE.

. . . AND THOSE DECISIONS HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. . .

. . . AND ON THE ECONOMY!

ADVOCACY CAN HELP ADDRESS SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.

AND ADVOCACY IS GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH!

• Telling your story is healthy and empowering!

– Good for confidence and self-esteem

– Good for sense of control over life

– One study found that that when a group listened to others’ stories they better controlled their high blood pressure than another group taking extra medication.

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/01/storytelling-for-mental-health-boost

The actual things that happen to you may have less of an impact on your mental health than the things you tell yourself about them.

YOUR VOICE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT.

Advocates

Patients

Federal Health Center funding

Our success (and our future) depends on the strength of

our advocacy.

ADVOCACY REQUIRES LARGE NUMBERS OF MOTIVATED

INDIVIDUALS

WHAT ARE SOME

STRATEGIES FOR

EFFECTIVE GRASSROOTS

ADVOCACY?

1. YOU HAVE TO STAY INFORMED . . .

www.saveourchcs.org

Facebook.com/cfahc

blog.saveourchcs.org

@CFAHC

#FQHC

. . ., 2. TAKE ACTION, . . .

. . . AND 3. SPREAD THE WORD!

CREATE A CULTURE OF ADVOCACY AT YOUR

HEALTH CENTER!

STEPS TO CREATE A CULTURE OF ADVOCACY

• How to spread the word• How people can make the

commitment to be an advocate

• How to involve the more motivated advocates

ASK LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THE COMMITMENTAdvocacy Coordinator•Designate a staff person to be the “Advocacy Coordinator” at your health center

– We have a description & designation form on saveourchcs.org•Work with him/her to create a proposal•Create an internal teamBoard•Ask the Board to pass a resolution

– Sample language on saveourchcs.org•Create a sub-committee on the Board

– Sample by-laws on saveourchcs.org

DECIDE ON GOALS

• Who do you want to engage?

– Board, staff & patients• What issues will you engage

on?– Federal, state, and local

• Create some reasonable, quantifiable goals!

CREATE A PLAN OF ACTION & EXECUTE

• How to spread the word– For staff: staff orientation, staff meetings, fliers in the

bathroom, emails?– For patients: train front desk staff or CHWs, put fliers in the

waiting rooms, • How people can make the commitment to be an advocate

– Signup for CFAHC emails, join telephone tree• How to involve the more motivated advocates

– Storytelling, visits with legislators

IS IT OKAY TO DO ADVOCACY AT MY NON-PROFIT?

YES!Health Centers and non-profits can and

should do advocacy.

ADVOCACY IS DIFFERENT FROM LOBBYING

Talking to legislators or the community about important issues. Unlimited!

Asking legislators or the community to support a specific bill.<5% of the total budget

ADVOCACY

LOBBYING

DON’T BE PARTISAN!

• You have to be impartial to political parties because . . . It’s the law AND it makes sense.

• Support from both parties is a good position to be in.

Low Risk

Some Risk

High Risk

IS THE ACTIVITY NONPARTISAN?

ADVOCACY RESULTS IN POWERPower ISN’T the number of Advocates we have on

a list,

and it ISN’T the number of victories we win.

Power should be mesasured by our ability to continually grow and make it

impossible that any other group would want to or even could take us on.

Alex HarrisGrassroots Advocacy Manager for Special PopulationsNational Association of Community Health Centersaharris@nachc.org202.296.3072

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