advocacy 102: incorporating advocacy training in professional preparation programs
DESCRIPTION
Advocacy 102: Incorporating Advocacy Training in Professional Preparation Programs. Susan M. Radius, PhD, CHES Towson University [email protected]. OBJECTIVES. Provide justification for advocacy-related instruction in undergraduate and graduate health education curricula - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Advocacy 102: Incorporating Advocacy Training in Professional Preparation
Programs
Susan M. Radius, PhD, CHESTowson [email protected]
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?