Welcome to Unit 8: Advocacy: Private and Non-profit

With Craig Owens(Craig or Prof C)

Seminar 8, AgendaSeminar 8, Agenda

Apply the learning from Unit 7!Apply the learning from Unit 7! Advocacy - Core ConceptsAdvocacy - Core Concepts Case Study – If you were in Charge?Case Study – If you were in Charge? QuestionsQuestions

Applying the learning!Applying the learning!

What was the most significant thing you learned in last week’s discussion about organizing a community coalition to improve coordination between mental health and substance abuse services?

Differences between profit and non-Differences between profit and non-profit agenciesprofit agencies

Thinking back to your previous classes, Thinking back to your previous classes, what is the difference between for-profit what is the difference between for-profit and not-for-profit agencies?and not-for-profit agencies?

Differences between profit and non-Differences between profit and non-profit agenciesprofit agencies

The fundamental differences between for The fundamental differences between for profit and not-for-profit agencies is in the profit and not-for-profit agencies is in the business model and not so much in delivery of business model and not so much in delivery of services. Most agencies provide the same services. Most agencies provide the same types of services, but often the differences lie types of services, but often the differences lie in whether they can treat clients who cannot in whether they can treat clients who cannot pay for service.pay for service.

For- profit AgenciesFor- profit Agencies If you were to work for a for profit If you were to work for a for profit

agency, the focus of your advocacy agency, the focus of your advocacy activities will be split between working in activities will be split between working in the community to promote your agency’s the community to promote your agency’s services and attracting paying clients to services and attracting paying clients to the agency. You would also spend time the agency. You would also spend time working with community coalitions and working with community coalitions and local government representatives.local government representatives.

Not-for-profit AgenciesNot-for-profit Agencies If you were to work for a not-for-profit agency, more of If you were to work for a not-for-profit agency, more of

your advocacy energy would be devoted to ensuring your advocacy energy would be devoted to ensuring that state and local politicians understand the benefits that state and local politicians understand the benefits of your service, asking for grant monies to be of your service, asking for grant monies to be increased, and organizing effective service delivery in increased, and organizing effective service delivery in your town. It is important to use these meetings as an your town. It is important to use these meetings as an opportunity to present the message that responsible opportunity to present the message that responsible service providers need continued financial support from service providers need continued financial support from local and state governments to best serve the needs of local and state governments to best serve the needs of those who need it, but who cannot pay for it.those who need it, but who cannot pay for it.

Strengths and Weaknesses?Strengths and Weaknesses? For Profit StrengthsFor Profit Strengths

For Profit WeaknessesFor Profit Weaknesses

Non-Profit StrengthsNon-Profit Strengths

Non-Profit WeaknessesNon-Profit Weaknesses

Community LeadersCommunity Leaders

Another focus of advocacy is in educating local decision-makers about the social problems that are affecting their community. Those community leaders who understand the problems of their town are more likely to attend and support fundraisers.

Community EducationCommunity Education There are strong links between increased There are strong links between increased

crime rates and decreased spending for social crime rates and decreased spending for social services. One of the tasks of human service services. One of the tasks of human service professionals, who advocate for services, is to professionals, who advocate for services, is to educate people about the importance of educate people about the importance of helping people to survive. For example, it is helping people to survive. For example, it is unreasonable to expect that someone would unreasonable to expect that someone would choose to starve over stealing food. choose to starve over stealing food. Can you Can you think of other examples where decreased think of other examples where decreased funding causes an increase in social problems?funding causes an increase in social problems?

AdvocacyAdvocacy Advocacy can be a formal Advocacy can be a formal

process such as making a process such as making a presentation at a local presentation at a local town council meeting or town council meeting or an informal process such an informal process such as talking to someone in as talking to someone in the supermarket about the the supermarket about the need for services or taking need for services or taking to the streets to directly to the streets to directly help people in need.help people in need.

Advocacy Case StudyAdvocacy Case Study

You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and recovery group.recovery group.

What exactly is a “Peer Support and Recovery Group”; what What exactly is a “Peer Support and Recovery Group”; what is expected of someone who becomes a member or attends is expected of someone who becomes a member or attends meetings?meetings?

Advocacy Case StudyAdvocacy Case Study

You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and recovery group.recovery group.

What are some of the things you would need to advocate for What are some of the things you would need to advocate for to get a peer support group started in your community and to get a peer support group started in your community and how might you go about doing this advocacy?how might you go about doing this advocacy?

Advocacy Case StudyAdvocacy Case Study

You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and recovery group.recovery group.

What do you think might be the biggest barrier you face in What do you think might be the biggest barrier you face in getting this new peer support group off the ground, how getting this new peer support group off the ground, how would you eliminate or overcome this barrier?would you eliminate or overcome this barrier?

Advocacy Case StudyAdvocacy Case Study

You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your You are a team leader in the local community health center. Your team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them team works with adults with serious mental illness helping them to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively to stay in the community and to avoid hospitalization by actively working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of working their individual recovery plans. Some of the members of your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in your mental health team and some of the mental health clients in the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and the community feel it would be helpful to start a peer support and recovery group.recovery group.

Do human service professional’s have a role in peer support Do human service professional’s have a role in peer support groups? If so, how would you describe this role?groups? If so, how would you describe this role?

So what do you think now about Peer Support Groups? Do you see potential benefits for one in your area? Do you have an interest in advocating for one someday?

Unit 8Unit 8 Discussion QuestionDiscussion Question No projectNo project May want to start working on Unit 9 Final May want to start working on Unit 9 Final

Project in which you write a detailed reflection Project in which you write a detailed reflection paper from the point of view of a human paper from the point of view of a human services professional in your last job in the services professional in your last job in the field, this is due at the end of Unit 9field, this is due at the end of Unit 9

No late projects or assignments will be No late projects or assignments will be accepted past the Saturday of Unit 10 - no accepted past the Saturday of Unit 10 - no exceptions exceptions

Do you Have Any

Questions?