Problem
Create an advocacy plan for an older adult who requires community resources.
Remember that advocacy is speaking on behalf of others, pleading their case. It is more than just making a referral. Usually, we advocate when there is a barrier to service or if services have been denied. If our clients can advocate for themselves that is the most empowering. However, if our clients need more help, we step in and advocate for them. Create a scenario or example where you need to advocate about an issue affecting a senior or seniors. There are many already known service issues impacting seniors' care and lives. The issue you select may affect one senior (an individual's experience with the system and service needs) or many seniors - a larger social justice concern.
A. Choose a problem concerning seniors or a particular sub-population of seniors that you would be interested in exploring. Choose a need that may have some barriers for your client so that you must advocate for them. Identify how you selected your advocacy issue. Reference the research that you used to identify the need you selected (at least 1 source).
B. Write a brief client profile and description of their problem or unmet need (you write about a hypothetical client, their need/problem, and how it affects them - you create a case scenario). How is the problem affecting the client?
C. Research possible services both formal and informal, that might be able to help or should be able to help if not for barriers.
D. Describe who you will contact and what you need to ask for on behalf of your client. Consider what agencies, services or levels of government you will need to advocate with. Do they have the services available to help your client? If not, how might you proceed? Are their services lacking in our community which is creating difficulty for your client? Identify those issues.
E. Develop a letter on behalf of your client. It is assumed that you have already received the client's permission, so a release of information is not necessary.
Content:
A. Research the service delivery system (Ontario) and identify a problem or issue for your case scenario that requires advocacy - what is the need/problem that you identified for your story, what are the barriers and gaps - how do we know about this need beyond the client story that you create? Write a case scenario story that includes the client's story (brief), identifies their need, what resources if any are available to help plus any barriers and an advocacy plan:
B. Advocacy letter: - write an appropriate advocacy letter on behalf of the client to an agency, a letter to the editor, to your MP, a specific service, etc. to describe the client's circumstances and needs and your request related to advocacy.