Advocacy 102: Incorporating Advocacy
Training in Professional Preparation
Programs
Susan M. Radius, PhD,
CHES
Towson University
sradius@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?