Advocacy 102: Incorporating Advocacy Training in Professional Preparation

Programs

Susan M. Radius, PhD, CHESTowson Universitysradius@towson.edu

OBJECTIVES

Provide justification for advocacy-related instruction in undergraduate and graduate health education curricula

Review advocacy-related competencies and Identify strategies for integrating advocacy-related instruction in undergraduate and graduate health education curricula

Identify resources for teaching advocacy

WHY TEACH ADVOCACY?

Professional responsibility Ethical responsibility Personal responsibility Professional gain

Area VII: Communicate and Advocate for Health and Health Education

A: Analyze and respond to current and future needs in health education.

B: Apply a variety of communication methods and techniques.

C: Promote the health education profession individually and collectively.

D: Influence health policy to promote health.

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY

Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession and identify a specific section which addresses advocacy as a responsibility of health educators.

Article I: Responsibility to the Public

Section 2: Health Educators encourage actions and social policies that support and facilitate the best balance of benefits over harm for all affected policies

Section 4: Health Educators accept the responsibility to act on issues that can adversely affect the health of individuals, families and communities

Article II: Responsibility to the Profession

Section 1: Health Educators maintian, improve and expand their professional competence through continued study and educaiton; membership, participation andleaderhsip in profesinal organizaitons; and involvement in issues related to the health of the public.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Embodies commitment to and application of health educators’ ethical and professional responsibilities

Prepares future health educators to advocate for themselves, as well as their issues

Provides challenging personal growth opportunities

PROFESSIONAL GAIN

Provides personal distinction from colleagues Enhances student exchange – in and out of

the classroom Grounds classroom exchange in real world Facilitates direction and content of instruction Promotion and tenure??

WHAT MAKES FOR EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION?

Multifaceted Multiple opportunities to develop, apply, and receive

feedback Formal and informal learning experiences Entertaining

(Tapper & Galer-Unti, 2001)

ADVOCACY REALITIES

Education for advocacy, at both graduate and undergraduate levels, lower than anticipated

Community Health curricula more likely to include advocacy

Graduate curricula more likely to include advocacy

CONFRONTING THE DEMON: WHY STUDENTS DON’T ADVOCATE

Students enter with little experience Students pose little need for convincing

about importance Perceived importance not equivalent to

action Optimistic about instruction Older students better positioned Young women merit particular attention

INCORPORATING ADVOCACY IN PROFESSIONAL PREPRATION PROGRAMS

Integration into courses: policy, methods, writing courses

Internship/service learning opportunities Community partnerships Service organizations Campus/student driven issues (“seize the

moment”)

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Letters to the Editor Op-Ed Content analysis/Issue tracking USA Today Term paper Debate Site visits Real world in the classroom

PSA Small group analysis (attending community

meetings) Movies (Thank You for Smoking) Analyze advocacy websites Speech writer Elevator speech

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Classroom is not sufficient Need skill-building Engage professional organizations Pre-service practica Experiential learning (volunteering,

internship, community service) merit renewed attention

Enhance faculty development

MOTIVATING STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Publicize the Advocacy Summit Address student fears: personal and

professional Hold post-Summit Summit Encourage student write-up of experience Guide student follow-up with legislators Incorporate in future instruction Make advocacy special

CONFRONTING THE OTHER DEMON: MOTIVATING FACULTY INVOLVEMENT

Overwhelming majority believe in importance of advocacy (preparation, competence, instruction)

Overwhelming majority lack preparation in advocacy Overwhelming majority not teaching advocacy at

undergraduate or graduate levels Overwhelming majority not pursuing CE

opportunities available to them Advocacy Summit virtually unknown

CONFRONTING THE OTHER DEMON: MOTIVATING FACULTY INVOLVEMENT

Too much work Curriculum already over-loaded Lack experience/knowledge Cannot afford to risk my professional position No reward

NO EXCUSES

Is it work? Yes, but… No experience? OK, but… Afraid to jeopardize your professional

position? Not to worry, you can… No reward? What about…

Why advocate for advocacy in professional preparation?