Assignment task:
Respond to at least two colleagues in the following way:
Compare your analysis and offer any insights you gained from reading your colleague's post. Need Assignment Help?
Share any experience you have in advocacy that expands upon a colleague's post
First peer: Linda
Advocacy for Human Services Professional Practitioners (HSPPs) is the intentional effort to promote the rights, needs, and well-being of individuals and communities, particularly those affected by crisis, trauma, and systemic inequities. Advocacy involves amplifying marginalized voices, reducing barriers to services, and influencing policies that promote dignity, equity, and social justice (Snow, 2013).
Advocacy is vital to positive social change because it strengthens community responses to crisis and disaster and ensures survivors have access to resources, protections, and trauma-informed care. During times of environmental disruption or collective trauma, advocacy helps address service gaps, uphold human rights, and promote long-term recovery and resilience (Kemp & Palinkas, 2015; Levy & Patz, 2015). While advocacy can be challenging, using ethical standards and practical tools increases confidence and effectiveness, making advocacy a core responsibility of HSPPs (American Psychological Association [APA], n.d.; Rogers et al., 2019).
Second peer: Blanca
To me, as an HSPP, advocacy means being the voice of others. It means being able to stand up for what I believe is right. The Guideinc.org defines advocacy as, "The Citizens' Committee for Children (CCC) describes effective advocacy as "influenc[ing] public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public on the changes they want to bring for children and their families." Essentially, advocates use their voices, and help others to use their voices, to influence necessary change," (2013). Advocacy, like the CCC, means making a change in our society. These changes can affect the lives of people fighting for the same thing or suffering from a crisis, trauma, or disaster, and are unable to stand up for themselves. According to K.C. Snow, "Advocacy, therefore, is an active process of helping people accomplish something needed which they have difficulty achieving without assistance (West-Olantuji, 2010) (2013).
When it comes to comfort level and advocacy, I think I am comfortable doing most things. I am not shy; I have strong communication and writing skills, and I can speak to large crowds. The only roadblock that I would run into is time management. I work two jobs, have a family, attend school, and have limited time to invest in advocacy as much as I would like.