1. What You’ll Learn
1. Identify four steps to follow to be a health advocate.
2. Explain eight steps that can be taken to get involved as a volunteer.
3. Discuss the benefits of being a volunteer.
4. Explain the healthy- helper syndrome.
5. List at least ten volunteer opportunities for teens.

2. Key Terms health-advocacy skills health advocate volunteer
volunteer center
volunteer burnout
beta-endorphins
healthy-helper syndrome

3. Health Advocacy Skills
Health-advocacy skills are skills used to influence the health behavior and decisions of others and to advance specific health-related beliefs and concerns.
A health advocate is a person who uses skills to influence the health behavior and decisions of others for the advancement of health-related beliefs and concerns.

4. How to Become a Health Advocate
1. Select a health-related concern.
Teens often select advocacy interests for which they may have a strong personal connection.
2. Gather reliable information.
Advocates often volunteer to help or provide service for the group they are interested in.
A volunteer is a person who provides a service without pay.

5. How to Become a Health Advocate
3. Identify your purpose and target audience. 
The purpose of advocating for a health concern might be to educate people about a specific health problem, to get laws passed, and/or to motivate others to advocate for a health-related cause.
4. Develop a convincing and appropriate message.
Focus on your purpose and target audience and prepare your message to maximize your influence on others.

7. Volunteering
Volunteering your time and talent is a powerful way to improve the quality of life for you and others.
As a volunteer, you meet new people, develop new skills, and may add to your self-respect and health status.

8. How to Be a Volunteer
Assess your interests, skills, talents, and resources.
List your interests, skills, and talents and identify how much time you have to spend volunteering.
Identify organizations in your community that use or need volunteers.
A volunteer center is an organization that matches people with volunteer jobs.

9. How to Be a Volunteer
Call or visit organizations or agencies for which you would like to volunteer. 
Call the organization or agency for which you would like to volunteer and express your interest. Be prepared with questions.
Make final preparations. 
Obtain permission from a parent or guardian to volunteer.
Discuss your schedule and the tasks you will perform, and arrange for transportation.

10. How to Be a Volunteer Set high expectations for yourself.
Be on time, dress appropriately, follow rules and guidelines, and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.
If you do not find an organization or agency where you can serve as a volunteer, create and organize your own projects. 
Think of ways you can help in your community and write an action plan.
Involve others as you plan your event.

11. How to Be a Volunteer Keep a log of your volunteer experiences.
Include a description of the tasks you are doing and whether or not you like them.
Avoid volunteer burnout.
Be careful not to overdo or to take on responsibilities that are too much for you.
Volunteer burnout is a loss of enthusiasm about volunteering that results from feeling overwhelmed.

12. Can Being a Volunteer Affect Your Health Status?
Effects of positive feelings
Evidence suggests that the positive feelings that come from doing good deeds help boost the effectiveness of the immune system.
Beta-endorphins are substances produced in the brain that create a feeling of well-being.

13. Can Being a Volunteer Affect Your Health Status?
Effects of positive feelings
Healthy-helper syndrome is a state in which a person feels increased energy, relaxation, and improved mood as a result of giving service to others.

14. Volunteering Opportunities
Can Being a Volunteer Affect Your Health Status?
Volunteering Opportunities
You can volunteer in any number of ways, including:
Coach a sports team
Tutor or read to children
Teach reading
Participate in walk-a-thons and fun-runs
Serve food in a homeless shelter
Perform chores for an elderly person or a person with a physical disability
Clean up a vacant lot, roadway, or other area
Collect food or clothing

15. Volunteering Opportunities
Can Being a Volunteer Affect Your Health Status?
Volunteering Opportunities
You can volunteer in any number of ways, including:
Form a teen coalition to counter tobacco and alcohol advertising in your community
Organize drug- and alcohol-free activities
Participate in a neighborhood or roadside cleanup
Plant a garden or a tree
Help prepare and deliver meals
Organize entertainment

16. Study Guide 1. Match the following terms and definitions.
1I, 2C
1. Match the following terms and definitions.
___ beta-endorphins
___ health advocate
___ healthy-helper syndrome
___ volunteer A C D B
A. substances produced in the brain that create a feeling of well-being
B. a person who provides a service without pay
C. one who promotes health and influences others’ health behaviors and decisions
D. state of increased energy, relaxation, and improved mood that results from helping others

17. Study Guide 2. What are the signs of volunteer burnout?
The signs of volunteer burnout include feeling stressed, bored, or tired.

18. Study Guide 3. What is a volunteer center?
A volunteer center is an organization that matches people with volunteer jobs.

19. End of the Lesson

20. Lesson Resources tx.healthmh.com/health_advocacy_skills
tx.healthmh.com/volunteering
tx.healthmh.com/study_guide

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