Responsible Advocacy

1. Responsible Advocacy Doing good, right!

2. Advocacy “Speaking up for yourself or another individual, a group or organization in order to bring about a change.”

3. Who are self-advocates? • A self advocate is some one • who figures out what they need. • who speaks up and says what they need and want. • who helps other people & doesn’t point or laugh at them. • who makes choices and talk things over. • who ask lots of questions. • who finds ways to do things they want to do.

4. 7 Steps to Advocacy Step #1. What do you need and want? Step #2. Plan Ahead – think about what you want to say. Step #3. Do you need someone else to help you advocate? Step #4. Always go to meetings about your services. Step #5. Get ready to negotiate Step #6. How do I tell if it's working? Step #7. Know how to make a complaint or appeal if you are not happy.

5. Step #1. What do you want? You are responsible for being… • Clear about what you need and what you want! • Speaking Up! Taking care of yourself.

6. Step #2. Plan Ahead – think about what you want to say. • Are you happy with your services? • Do you want them to change? How? • Are there any rules that have to be followed to change your plan? (Ask an advocate.)

7. Step #3. Do you need someone else to help you to advocate? • Do you have an advocate or a friend who can go with you? • Talk to them ahead of time about what you want. • Decide who will do the talking- you or them. • If no one can go with you, try to get a friend or family member to help you practice what you are going to say.

8. If you have a Medley Advocate… • Let someone know when you need them to talk to you before the meeting. • Let your advocate know what you want from them.

9. Step #.4 Always Go To Meetings About Your Services • Always go to meetings. • Ask who is at your meetings and why. • Keep all your papers. • Don’t sign blank copies of forms. • Document what happens, take notes or have someone do it for you.

10. Step #5. Getting What You Need! Sometimes you don’t get what you want so you have to …. Negotiate!

11. What does negotiate mean? • Making a deal or a bargain • Coming up with a different solution • Compromise

12. Negotiating • Face the other person • Look them in the eye • Speak up but don’t shout • Pay attention, don’t frown • Use good listening skills • Ask for what you want

13. Negotiating • Say why you want it • If the other person agrees, thank them • If they don’t agree, suggest a compromise • If they agree with your compromise, thank the person

14. Negotiating • If they don’t agree with your compromise, ask them to think of a compromise • If you need time to think about their compromise, ask for it • Ask the person when you can talk with him or her again

15. Negotiating • If you agree with the compromise, thank the person for their solution • If you don’t like the proposed compromise, think of another • Be assertive and persistent but, Leave your anger at home!

16. Step #6. How do I tell if it's working? • Make sure that you understand what is suppose to happen. When, where, how. • Write down when services happen. • If services don’t happen, know who to call. Write it down. • Are you happy with the services?

17. Step #7. Know How to Appeal. • All grievances or appeal procedures have similar steps: • Who can file; • Who will hear it; • What issues can ‘appealed’ or ‘grieved’; • What has to happen before a grievance can be filed ; and • The timelines that have to be followed – both for the person filing a it and for the agency receiving it.

18. Effective Advocacy • Know what you want • Plan your strategy. • Get help or support. • Go to meetings and keep documentation • Be Ready to Negotiate • Document What Happens • Know appeal mechanisms and use change of command.

19. Christina Smith Executive Director The Arc of West Virginia Program Director People First of WV christina.smith@arcwd.org 304-422-3151, ext. 106 1-877-334-6581