Advocacy

At community level, the social worker plays the role of advocacy. She is persuasive, assertive, and patient in her day-to-day encounter with patients. She is a community organizer; she coordinates financial aid to long-term residents without sponsorship and serves as a liaison to some of the patients she cares for. It is vital for the human service professional to provide information about social issues that are likely to affect the public (O'Hagan, 2007).

Identify the issue – advocacy begins with a problem or issue this could be environment, economic, social and other factors

By completing this module you will learn about the limits to the advocacy role and

Advocacy is a term that get used to defining a political process through which an individual or group aims at influencing decisions within economic, political and social systems within an institution. It includes a lot of activities ranging from people or organizations undertaking massive media campaigns, publishing research, commissioning or conducting exit polls. Or the filing of an amicus brief as well as public speaking (Daly, 2011). Also, advocacy can get defined as taking actions with an aim of helping people say what they want, represent their interests and secure their rights and above all to obtain services they need. As well as entering into partnerships with support groups in the promotion of social inclusion, social justice, and

Self Advocacy - People speaking out for themselves to express their own needs and representing their own interests. Often people with some form of disability may have received some support in achieving self-advocacy – this is a model employed by People First – a group run by people with learning disabilities for people with learning disabilities.

What is CASA of Oklahoma; CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates and it is a nonprofit organization. There main duty is to recruit and train volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children.

CASA or court appointed special advocates, advocate for children in court, They are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they do not get lost in the over-burden legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. For many of these abused children, their CASA volunteer will be the one constant adult presence in their lives. They listen and then they act-- they get to know the child by talking with everyone in the child's life, parents, relatives, teachers, medical professionals, attorneys, social workers, foster parents, and others. They use this information to inform judges and others of what the child needs and what will be the best permanent home for them. Guardian Ad Litem are usually lawyers or mental health professionals, depending on the court and the circumstances. They investigate the matter at hand, use their own judgment in determining what is in the best interest of the child, and report their findings/recommendation to the court. In contested custody/visitation cases, courts frequently appoint a guardian ad litem for the children (1).

CASA is a nonprofit that is based off of volunteer advocates who stand up for the well-being of abused and neglected children in the foster care system. The CASA volunteers are there to ensure that every foster child’s needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system while searching for a safe and permanent home for the child.

The Advocate role implies that the social worker must interfere for the client and talk on the behalf of his or her client if necessary, so that she or he can received help and advice if

A caseworker’s main job is to advocate for our client population which is children and youth. OCY workers go into the home and investigate to see the extent of the maltreatment. We are to protect children and youth from abuse in all forms. Social Justice is used when parents are being neglectful, and not meeting the basic needs for their child. Caseworkers complete home assessments, and advocate for the child’s needs so the child can thrive. Children and youth are either too young, or afraid to speak up against the maltreatment inflicted upon them. OCY steps in and speaks up for the children and youth. Caseworkers make safety and risk assessments to determine if the child could be maltreated and advocates for change on the youth’s

Court Appointed Special Advocates and Guardian Ad Litem’s are just regular people who are doing their best to make a difference in the life of a child who is involved in the court system because they have been declared by the court to be neglected, abused or dependent. The CASA/GAL volunteer is required to go through extensive training before they are ever given a case to handle. They are expected to commit to at least 15 hours a month per a case and to handle 1-2 cases at a time. The cases can last up to two years and sometimes can last longer than that. In the beginning they may put in more hours because of all the court hearings and meeting they need to attend.

They are seeing more victims with other mental health issues, AODA issues, and other obstacles that cause a delay in the transition process from the shelter to the community. Therefore, Advocates works with other agencies in the county to assure that needs are met for victims so that they can move forward in the transition process. Advocates works with the Department of Social Services as well as other therapists and psychiatrists to provide mental health services. For victims in need of parental support, Advocates is connected to programs like WIC, FoodShare, and W-2. Advocates is also involved with law enforcement and the court system to promote social justice for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

As social works one of our roles are to advocate not only for our clients but overall communities. This

Advocacy and mediation are continually being integrated into various spectrums of the human services field; but what happens when these two methods of helping present challenges for one another? While ethical, moral, and legal challenges of potential dual relationships are common, there are specific approaches that can be implemented which can help alleviate these stressors. The author will present a personal perceptive on the integration of advocacy and mediation within the human services field, as well as her personal philosophy and individual approach to both advocating and mediating within a specific agency: Planned Parenthood.

Curtin's (1979) concept of advocacy is based on the nurse/patient relationship that forms from the common bond of humanity. The nurse must realize patient reactions and needs created by illness, which may threaten the integrity of the person (Bu & Jzewski, 2006, p103)(McSteen & Peden-McAlpine, 2006, p. 260). Gadow (1980) states that advocacy not only preserves, but also positively contributes to self-determination. "The effort to assist patients become clear about what they want in a situation, to assist them in discerning and clarifying their values and examining available options in light of those values" (MacDonald, 2007, p.120) Kohnke's (1982) definition of advocacy focuses on ensuring patient self-determination over decision-making (MacDonald, 2007, p. 120). Advocacy involves the nurse supplying patients with information needed to make appropriate choices and then supporting the decisions they make along with their right to make that decision (Bu & Jzewski, 2006, p103). Robinson (1985) thought advocacy involved allowing patients to make decisions without pressure and promote informed decision-making" (Baldwin, 2003, p. 35). Chafey et. al. (1998) indicated that the nurse-patient relationship is an important feature of advocacy. Teaching, informing, and supporting are activities of patient advocates. Lindahl and Sandman (1998) described patient advocacy as "building a caring relationship, carrying out a commitment, empowering, making room for and