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Contents
This booklet is protected by copyright under United States law and by international copyright laws and treaty provisions. You may copy and distribute the work, provided you: use the work for personal, noncommercial use; do not add the work to a collection or use it with any other text, photographs, artwork, etc.; do not modify or alter the work in any way or delete or modify any copyright; and, do not publish or post all or any part of the work on any internet site or in or on any other media without obtaining the prior written consent of Ohio Legal Rights Service. Copyright © 2004 Ohio Legal Rights Service. All rights reserved. Advocacy is everyone's responsibility!Advocacy is the act of speaking in support of human concerns or needs. When people have their own voice, advocacy means making sure they are heard; when they have difficulty in speaking, it means providing help; where they have no voice, it means speaking for them. From: "Making Change: A Place to Start," British Columbia, Ministry for Children and Families What is the intent of this guide?This guide was designed to help you develop an understanding of advocacy and feel comfortable advocating by responding to the following:
What is advocacy?Advocacy is:
Why is advocacy necessary?Advocacy is necessary on a personal level:
Advocacy is necessary on a state-wide systems level:
What do advocates do?Advocates inform and educate decision makers about issues that are important to them. The intent of advocacy is:
Advocacy occurs on two levels. First, on a personal or self advocacy level:
Second, on a state-wide systems advocacy level:
Both of these advocacy levels are important to assure that change is made and rights are protected. How does advocacy work?Advocacy does work!! Through advocacy, individuals and groups of individuals have a voice and an impact on those who make decisions. One person or a small group of people can have an impact on the system! Who can advocate?Anyone can be an advocate:
Everyone can be an advocate. All you need is a mission and passion! What makes an advocate effective?There are several key characteristics needed to be an effective advocate. The best advocates:
What are approaches to advocacy?There are many ways to educate and inform decision makers about issues that are important to you. The PAIMI Leadership Training Institute encourages people to become involved in advocacy activities at their comfort level — either through direct or indirect contact with their policymakers. Indirect contact:
Direct contact:
All these contacts help inform decision makers about your opinions and views. Why do decision makers need to hear from me?It is important for decision makers to hear from you because oftentimes they are unaware of the issue. Once they are aware of, and understand the issue you have identified, they can do something about it. Decision makers like to have the opportunity to correct issues that are under their control. If they cannot make the correction because it is out of their control, they may support your issue if it is taken to the legislative arena. An Example of Why it is Important to Contact Decision MakersOne of the rights clients in the mental health system have is the posting of Rights and the name of the Client Rights Officer and the number for Ohio Legal Rights Service. A client, in a program, informed the director of the program (a decision maker) that these posting requirements were not met at the facility. After being informed, the decision maker posted the information. Now all clients in the program can read their rights and know who to go to if they have a problem. One person,through advocacy, can correct a simple problem and have a big impact on many other people. How do I inform and educate decision makers?The following guidelines apply to any form of communication with decision makers including personal visits, telephone conversations, emails, letters, text messages, or faxes.
Who are Ohio's mental health decision makers?
Who are, and how do I find, local and state decision makers?A decision maker is the person who has control over the problem and can assist in finding a solution. As an advocate, you need to contact the person who has the most immediate control. This person may be:
If you need help finding who can assist with your issue, seek the assistance of the Client Rights Officer/ Client Rights Advocate or Ohio Legal Rights Service. If you feel the person you spoke with is not responding or addressing your issue, you should be prepared to go up the tree of decision makers. When a decision maker demonstrates they are correctly following the rules, regulations, and laws which govern their work, then you need to shift your advocacy focus to policymakers.
Your issue may be under the control of a state policymaker.
Why do legislators need to hear from me?Legislators want to hear from their constituents! Your legislators represent you and others in your district, but they cannot do so effectively if they do not know what you want. There is power in your presence and your voice. Recently, a state legislator remarked to a community member that he had received "a lot of comment" about an issue. When asked what was "a lot," the legislator replied, "six or seven people called about it." Fewer than a dozen contacts about a bill may substantially influence a vote on your issue! How do I find my elected officials?To find local elected officials contact your local county board of elections. To find the address/phone number of your county board of elections, see the Ohio County Boards of Election Directory. This web site has web pages and email addresses for those county boards of elections that have them. To find state elected officials call the Ohio Legislative Commission at 1-800-282-0253. What are the mental health advocacy issues?At the March 24, 2004 Rights and Recovery Campaign, an advocacy platform was promoted. Statewide systemic issues on this platform included:
In addition to these statewide systemic issues, clients receiving services from Ohio's mental health system also have individual concerns and issues that need addressed. What materials are available to help me advocate?
How do I get started?Outlined below are some of the basic steps an advocate needs to do prior to making their first contact with a decision maker:
What is the Let's Get Started! publication?The Let's Get Started! publication is a companion document for this Advocacy Guide. Let's get Started! identifies a specific advocacy issue and outlines steps for advocates to follow to inform and educate decision makers to affect change. Let's Get Started! is available from Ohio Legal Rights Service (to order call 614-466-7264 or 800-282-9181 and also online at http://olrs.ohio.gov/asp/pub_PAIMILetsGetStarted.asp. Funding for this PublicationOhio Legal Rights Service prepared this PAIMI Advisory Council publication, in part, with funding from the Ohio Department of Mental Health, through a grant from the federal Center for Mental Health Services. Additional funding was provided through grants under The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act of 1986, administered by the Center for Mental Health Services, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Related Topics:
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