Update advocacy initiative USA: Global Mental Health Advocacy Working Group Ann Willhoite Center for Victims of Torture Inka Weissbecker, PhD, MPH Global Mental Health and Psychosocial Advisor All content in this document is the property of International Medical Corps and should not be reproduced without prior written consent. This material is protected by copyright. ©2012 International Medical Corps. Materials may not be reproduced without International Medical Corps’ prior written consent.

Advocacy icebreaker The one sentence pitch: – You are at a diner party and someone asks you: "So what are you doing?" Can you answer in one sentence so they understand your work in MHPSS?

ADVOCACY INTRODUCTION

Advocacy means persuading decision-makers to take particular actions or adopt particular policies for a social benefit (in this case, a public health benefit) Advocacy...

Advocates Provide Professional expertise Local information from the field “Real-life” examples of legislative impact Access to District Voters News Media Opportunities

Many types of Advocacy Individual Advocacy (e.g. communicating by phone/ , making visits to policy makers, talking to the media) Group initiatives (e.g. developing common strategies and plans, collective activities, communicating messages as a group) Advocacy Targets: Internal advocacy Opportunistic advocacy Government policy Multilateral agency agendas

Important Questions to Consider What is the issue? Who is the messenger? What is your goal and why? Who has the authority to make it happen? When to act? What’s the appropriate approach? What are the local needs and priorities?

Essential Elements of a Successful Advocacy Strategy Visibility Access Defensible Positions Timing Champions

DC BASED MHPSS ADVOCACY GROUP

Background Need for advocacy group – Limited understanding of MHPSS among decision makers and funders, particularly in US agencies – Need for more resources for MHPSS – Opportunity and potential impact of collaborative effort – Emphasize role of MHPSS in humanitarian response

DC-based Global Mental Health Advocacy Working Group Initiative of U.S.-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are either providing MHPSS to crisis-affected populations and/or engaging in furtherance of such services Leverages the clinical and policy-related expertise and assets of member organizations to develop coordinated policy, educational and advocacy initiatives. Activities are aimed at advancing the prioritization, quality and availability of MHPSS in humanitarian, transition, and development settings with the U.S. government and multilateral agencies

DC-based Meetings Monthly meetings Participating organizations: – I nternational Medical Corps, The Center for Victims of Torture, World Federation for Mental Health, IRC, Safe the Children, HIAS, USCRI, Handicap International, Intra-Health International (Capacity Plus project), American Refugee Committee, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, DIGNITY- Danish Institute Against Torture, US Fund for UNICEF, Whole Child International, Church World Service, JSI, Handicap International, Peter C. Alderman Foundation

DC-based Events and Activities Events and Activities (see next slides) Potential future Activities – Briefings, message campaigns, speakers, papers

World Health Day, April 2014

World Mental Health Day, Oct 2014

Successful integration of mental health into US appropriations wording From the report, pg 15: Syria “The committee directs the Department of State and USAID, in cooperation with relevant United nations (U.N.) agencies and organizations, to include mental health and psychosocial support services as a core component in programs addressing the needs of Syrian refugees, to be implemented according to the Inter-Agency- Standing Committee Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings” See: 113srpt195.pdfhttps://beta.congress.gov/113/crpt/srpt195/CRPT- 113srpt195.pdf

ADVOCACY EXAMPLES AND PLANS

Example: #FUNDAMENTALSDG Tangible “ask” Target audience Clear outcome Effective communication – Internet/mailing lists/twitter – Designated website (orgs visibly sign up to support): – Press release – WHO Mtg – BMJ Editorial

Advocacy exercise The elevator pitch: – You are in the elevator with a donor/policy maker going from the 1st to the 12th Floor. Prepare a message. Split into pairs: one is the donor/policy maker. Give your pitch in 2 minutes. Switch.

What is currently being done globally? What are your organizations doing? What would you like to do? What is possible?

Connecting and Coordinating MHPSS Advocacy Combining all of these efforts, what could be our larger MHPSS advocacy goals? What are the needs? What is the goal? – Advocacy itself is not the end goal Who are the targets? Take-away messaging? Organizational commitments? MHPSS follow-up?