Discussion Post: Advocating for Positive Social Change
Advocacy is an important consideration for future mental health professionals. This week, you and your colleagues will explore ways to increase public awareness related to mental health issues to enact positive social change.
To prepare for the Discussion:
1) Review the videos of your faculty sharing their experiences with advocacy on behalf of the profession of mental health counseling.
2) Select one of the following advocacy methods:
• Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper. Your letter must focus on a topic related to mental health advocacy.
• Write a social media post focused on a topic related to mental health advocacy.
• Write a letter to an elected official (e.g., senator, congressional representative) focused on a topic related to mental health advocacy.
Students may write a letter to the editor, write a letter to a public official, or write a social media post. For ALL of the options, students need to include the following:
o Identify the group for whom you are advocating
o Identify the diagnosis related to the group for whom you are advocating
o Identify and discuss the need for the advocacy for the group
o Identify and discuss a potential solution to the problem that you identified and for which you are advocating
Post a picture of your completed advocacy (i.e., a photo of the letter you have written or a screenshot of your social media post).
The response should include a reference list. Using one-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.