ADVOCACY The key to a counselor’s success By: Marisa White Intro to Instructional Computing August 2005

INTRODUCTION  Explain advocacy  Brief history  Purpose/Benefits  Process/Stages  Current concerns  Research  Resources  Plan  Action  Webpages

WHAT IS ADVOCACY  ADVOCACY: Increase awareness and create positive change for individuals, groups, organizations, and societies  Social action / social justice  One piece of a counselors identity

HISTORY OF ADVOCACY  1900’s Clifford Beers (1908, 1956) – A Mind that Found Itself: An Autobiography  1905 Du Bois – Civil Rights  1908 Parsons – Immigrant Families  1932 Sanchez – Standardized testing  1930s Horney – Mental health for women  1963 Massimo - Juvenile delinquency  1976 Guthrie – Bias in counseling theory  1991 Gerstein - Advocate for Tibetan people  1999 APA – Understanding sexual orientation

WHO CAN ADVOCATE  Counselor –Advocacy is not only a role of a counselor, but also a responsibility  Professor  Client

WHO TO ADVOCATE FOR  Self  Profession  Clientele  Society

PURPOSE  Ensure employment for counselors –Compare job opportunity –Compare earning potential  Further the profession –Credibility  Assist the clients  Social justice

BENEFITS  Increase counselor confidence  Increase negotiation skills  Gain awareness of social justice issues  Publicity for the profession  Aid clients in meeting their needs

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT  What causes to advocate for?  How to advocate in a successful manner?  Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

PROCESS/STAGES  Identify a problem – personal, professional, program, popular media –example of current issues doc.  Research the problem  Assess the resources needed  Strategic planning  Taking action

CURRENT CONCERNS  Licensure in all states  Insurance reimbursements  Media misrepresentation of mental illness  Public knowledge of services

WHAT TO RESEARCH  Current legislation about the topic  Who is responsible for the problem  What as been done to correct the problem  What resources will be needed during the advocacy process

ASSESS RESOURCES  Communicate with colleagues  Work with local, state and national organizations  Be knowledgeable of other resources

MAKING A PLAN  Know what steps need to be taken  Know what resources will be used  Set up a time frame to accomplish the goal

TAKE ACTION  Use your personal characteristics and counseling skills as social advocacy tools  Remind self of benefits  Know detriments –demanding –emotionally taxing –jeopardizing to their job –Case in Sue & Sue

HOW TO…  Join organizations  Research ACA’s website  Research Chi Sigma’s website  Brainstorm with colleagues  Ask professors

IDEAS  Take action against public advertisements that misuse the word counselor  Create brochures that describes a counselor’s identity and skills  Publish articles about counseling in popular media  Write letters to legislators  Start petitions  Speak to local organizations  Prepare debates

WEBSITES  ACA  Chi Sigma Iota  NBCC  CACREP  Council on Rehabilitation Education  American Association of State Counseling Boards

CONCLUSION  Advocacy is needed  Advocacy is beneficial to profession, self, clients, and society  Advocacy has 5 steps  There are a variety of advocacy methods that can be utilized by advocates