ADVOCACY at its BEST!

1. ADVOCACY at its BEST! Disability Rights Washington Washington’s Personal Advocates W.P.A.

2. Presentation Overview Information we will be covering today • Individual Advocacy and Group Advocacy • What is a Successful Advocate • Advocate’s Action Plan

3. The presenters of Advocacy at it’s Best are not attorneys. This presentation gives general information as a public service only and is not legal advice. If you need legal advice you should contact an attorney for assistance. ____________________________________________ Permission to reproduce this publication is granted by the authors provided that the publication is distributed free of charge and with credit to the original authors. Please notify original authors of use of this publication. Thank you.

4. Different Types of Advocacy INDIVIDUAL GROUP ADVOCACY is problem solving

5. Advocacy- Can happen in many different ways, either individually or in a group. Individual Advocacy Becoming a Self Advocate can build self confidence, and develop personal strength and the ability to advocate and speak up for personal rights and make personal choices. Group Advocacy Members of an advocacy group can help each other to speak up. They know each other well and understand the different types of support people needed to be successful advocates.

6. The answer is - Yes!! Do You Ever Ask Yourself – Can I Become A Successful Advocate? “You have the ability to become an Advocate and share what drives your passion to affect change.” William Fale

7. What makes an Advocate? • Objectiveness • Independence • Sensitivity and Understanding • Persistence and Patience • Knowledge and Judgment • Assertiveness • Ethics and Respect for Others

8. What Makes a Successful Advocate. • Pick an issue that you are passionate about and want to advocate for. • Develop an Advocacy Action Plan. • Be sure you are able to share positive and reliable information. • Seek out people who can help you solve the problems. • Decide what strategies will you use to solve the problems. Tip- You may choose to advocate with a group of people - it may increase the advocacy efforts.

9. Advocacy Goal SettingProviding a sense of achievement • Be specific. • Have a target date for completion. • Have a means of measuring achievement. • Be realistic (can it be done?) • Have support from people willing to work with others to reach the goals. • Check to be sure the goals are relevant to the people involved. • Identify the actions and reactions to reach the goals.

10. Action Plan Tips: Assess the problem Break down goal into smaller pieces Gather information and resources Choose advocacy strategies Give yourself a timeline Write down your results and evaluate your progress

11. Date: Advocacy Action Plan (AAP)(Steps on what to advocate for) Goal - What to advocate for: Break down Gather Information Strategies Timeline Results Goal: & Resources Next step Next step Next step Reach for your advocacy goal. Tip- be sure to fill out this form if your goal changes each time. It will provide you step by step directions to reach your advocacy goal with a positive result.

12. NO BUDDY DOES IT ALONE!How can I tell if someone supports my advocacy efforts? A person is supporting you when that person: Answers Your Questions Suggests Ideas, but You Direct the Decision. Helps You Do What You Say and What You Want. Listens Closely To What You Say and What You Want. Waits to Give Advice Until You Ask For It.

13. How can I tell if someone is not supporting my advocacy efforts? A person is NOT supporting you when that person: Doesn’t Think About What You Want. Doesn’t Ask You What You Want. Talks Too Much or Talks Over You. Criticizes or Dismisses Your Ideas. Makes Your Decisions For You.

14. Advocacy can be used for problem solving to: • Protect rights; • Stop discrimination; • Prevent abuse; • Ensure fair, equal and humane treatment; • Improve service; • Gain eligibility to services; • Change the amount or quality of services; • Make sure services meet the needs of an individuals; • Remove barriers which prevent access to full participation in community life.

15. What Are Some of Your Techniques? Advocacy Problem Solving Techniques Step1 Look at the problem as a group. Step 2 Discuss as a group how to solve the advocacy problem and Fill in the Advocacy Action Plan Step 3 Then let’s come together and compare our Action Plans. Step 4 This is just the beginning – Let’s keep working together to solve problems. Step 5 The result – Change! Great work!

16. Advocacy Resources Thank You for attending our presentation! Disability Rights Washington Advocacy Strategies – Building a Community Plan http://www.disabilityrightswa.org/2009-publication-pdf/self-advocacy/list-of-self-advocacy-self-help-information-sheets Brain Injury Resource Center http://www.headinjury.com/advocacy.htm TBI Washington http://www.tbiwashington.org/peopleandfamilies/families_advocacy_fact_sheet.shtml Disability Rights Wisconsin Advocacy Tool Kit: Skill for Effective Self and Peer Advocacy http://www.disabilityrightswi.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/advocacy-tool-kit-2007.pdf

17. Q & A Questions & Answers

18. Contact us W.P.A. WASHINGTON’S PERSONAL ADVOCATES William Fale 11401 3rd Avenue South EastBuilding O Unit 09Everett, Washington 98208 425-343-4507 voice425-348-2968 faxwheels.612@juno.com DISABILITY RIGHTS WASHINGTON Betty Schwieterman 315 5th Avenue South, Ste 850 Seattle, Washington 98104 1-800-562-2702 voice 1-800-957-0728 TTY bettys@dr-wa.org www.disabilityrightswa.org We are available to do other presentations, please ask us for details.