Robert A. Goodman, MSW a Life of Advocacy

Robert A. Goodman, MSW A Life of Advocacy

Introduction While this is an autobiography focusing on my advocacy efforts, I also intend for this to be a learning tool about advocacy. There are descriptions of different kinds of advocacy using examples from my life. I have included several appendices that go into more detail about different types of advocacy. Acknowledgements I want to thank my wife, Francine Cappell for her tireless efforts in editing and improving this document.

In 1956 I was a four-year old toddler transported from Bayshore, Long Island, New York to South Florida. Little did no one knew what an impact I would have on legislation and day to day quality of life issues as I grew up into a concerned and informed citizen. Ever since my childhood I have been concerned with the needs of others, economically, socially, and politically. Some of my first experiences included involvement in political campaigns and other advocacy efforts at age 11. My travels across the

United States, Canada, Mexico, Israel and Europe has given me a new perspective of the world and broadened my horizons. You are involved in politics from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep. The utilities you use, the roads you travel on, the taxes you pay, and the programs and services used by you and others are all controlled by elected or appointed government officials.1 (Robert Goodman, 2002) If you are not satisfied with any of these items you must become an advocate for change.

The dictionary defines advocacy as public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy. The Alliance for Justice (www.allianceforjustice.org) defines advocacy as any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others. Anyone can be an advocate who is willing to:  Speak up  Help others get benefits to which they are entitled  Challenge government systems when they don’t work  Work for laws, budgets and policies that do work  Be a voice for others with policy makers2 (Robert Goodman, 2002)

When you see something that is wrong you have to speak up and do something about it and get others involved in your issue. One can be an advocate at any age, There are many ways to be an advocate. The Alliance for Justice lists several different ways to get involved in your community or organization. They include: o Organizing, o Educating Legislators, o Educating the Public about the Legislative Process, o Research: Produce relevant resources that reflect the real story of your community, o Organizing a rally, o Regulatory efforts: Take action at the agencies, o Public education: Educate the community on the issues, o Nonpartisan voter education, o Nonpartisan voter mobilization, o Training: training sessions that teach successful strategies and skills for direct action by organizing on issues, o Litigation o lobbying.3 (Justice, n.d.) https://mffh.org/wordpress/wp- content/uploads/2016/04/AFJ_what-is-advocacy.pdf

My first recognition of the need for advocacy was at age 11, while a student at Biscayne Gardens Elementary School, when I saw the state government tearing down the homes and night clubs in an African-American neighborhood in front of my fifth- grade classroom. I could not understand why they were destroying people’s homes to build a highway (I-95). More on this later. You might also be advocating for a cause. As teenagers my brothers, sister and I sponsored a Muscular Dystrophy carnival in my backyard to raise money for that organization. Not only did the Mayor of North Miami Beach attend, but the poster child for that year made an appearance. In the 1960’s I was very active in the United Synagogue Youth. I served as social action chair and Soviet Jewry chair for our chapter and for the southeast region. Part of my role was to plan activities to help meet the needs of our community. I also planned rallies to support the efforts of Soviet Jews to leave the USSR. We helped get them various religious articles. We also held fund raising events to help promote our activities. My tireless efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry resulted in my receiving the Phil Pill Memorial Award. At age 14, I was a volunteer for Head Start which is a pre- school program which promotes school readiness of children

4 ages birth to five from low-income families by supporting the development of the whole child. While volunteering, I successfully mediated and prevented a racial incident between a white and a black student. The older brother of the black student came looking for a fight. I was not able to understand why people could not live together as friends and why people were prejudiced. It made no sense to me. I was determined not to engage in bigotry. As a Jewish person with a disability, I have often encountered prejudice. Some prejudice is based on ignorance. While in summer camp at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind a fellow camper who was totally blind asked if it was true that Jews had horns. I let her feel my head to show her that myth was untrue. Another example was the Kenilworth Hotel, owned by Arthur Godfrey, in Miami Beach that did not allow Jews or blacks. (www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami- beach/article1977826.html) These experiences along with my religious values helped me become more determined to fight social injustice and started me on the road to social activism and advocacy.

Community Organizing In North Miami Beach we lived on a dangerous curve. Cars would invariably end up crashing on people’s lawns or into homes when taking the curve too fast. I recognized an important safety issue and distributed a petition to city officials to fix the problem. As a result of my efforts the city improved the lines on the road, put reflectors on the curved part of the street and eventually changed the speed limit and installed a “dangerous curve” sign. It took a lot of work and energy but end result was worth it.

Advocacy steps: 1. Identify the problem a. Dangerous curve 2. Take photos, gather statistics and any relevant facts a. How many lawns or homes were damaged? 3. Determine who is responsible for fixing the problem a. Either North Miami Beach or Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation 4. Write a petition describing the problem and what needs to be done a. Cars are coming around the curve at high speeds and running over lawns and hitting some homes 5. Circulate the petition, discuss the issue with your neighbors 6. Send the petition to the appropriate agency and elected officials and ask for a meeting 7. Speak about the issue at a commission or other appropriate meeting 8. Follow up with officials, let them know if the problem is solved. If it is resolved remember to thank them.

I was introduced to politics when Arthur Snyder, a close friend of the family, ran for Mayor of North Miami Beach in 1963 (I was only11 years old) I helped distribute campaign literature. In 1966 I worked on the candidacy of Miami Mayor Robert King High who was running for Florida Governor. In 1968 I was state Youth Chairman for the Leroy Collins for US Senate campaign. In 1984 I helped write policy statements for Gary Hart, a presidential candidate, on issues of concern to seniors. In 1972 I managed the north Florida college campaign for presidential candidate Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson. In 1974, while a student at FSU, I helped coordinate the US Senate campaign for Richard Stone. I was also the campaign manager for Lloyd Edelstein, a city commission candidate in Hollywood, Florida. I got involved in many of these campaigns by simply walking into their headquarters and telling them what I can offer them and asked if I can help. As you can see there are many ways to get involved in campaigns and influence policies. When a candidate comes to your community ask questions about issues that are of concern to you. Sponsor candidate forums where you can pose questions to the candidates. Attend Town Hall Meetings. One day while coming home from City Hall, after interviewing the Chief of the Fire Department I was hit by a car. When the paramedics arrived, they were surprised to see me

7 laying on the ground. I was taken by ambulance to Parkway Hospital, passing the Coney Island restaurant where my family was eating. As the ambulance passed by, my mother said “I wonder if Robert got home safely?” Growing up in North Miami Beach we had only one newspaper. The Citizen Hub lacked news coverage and was quite conservative. Mark Greenspan and I started the North Miami Beach Locality, a newsletter that covered city hall news and other local events. One event was a tornado that went through our neighborhood. I covered this story in a wheelchair. This resulted in receiving a key to the City of North Miami Beach for my efforts in promoting local news and being interviewed on Channel 10. The North Miami Beach Locality was produced in my home using the old-fashioned ditto machine. In 1968 and 1969 I participated in the Optimist Club Oratorical Contest and placed second in both years. I was very active in the Norland Senior High School debate club. One debate topic was the effectiveness of the United Nations. I advocated for the position that the UN was not a friend of Israel or the United States. Regulatory Advocacy There are many issues which stem from regulations that need to be created, changed or repealed. There was a

8 supermarket in Miami Beach that in order to prevent the theft of shopping carts placed immovable iron posts which blocked the entrance. People in wheelchairs and babies in carriages were denied access. Several consumers in wheelchairs made me aware of this problem. I spoke to the state Fire Marshall and pointed out the safety issue in case of a fire. We also mentioned accessibility. As a result, the state Fire Marshall ordered the poles removed. While a student at Florida State University (FSU), I was looking for a profession that combined my interests in education, politics, social welfare, and journalism. I was able to combine all these interests in the field of social work. While studying for my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, I stumbled upon and fell into an unmarked construction site. Several students made me aware of other safety issues on campus for students with disabilities. I along with Gail Stamps, Victor Brown and Carla Stich approached the administration and said if you are going to admit students with disabilities then the university had to accommodate their needs. We conducted an accessibility survey that identified areas that needed improvement. As the Secretary of Student Affairs for the student government cabinet I was able to get the Student Council

9 involved. We met with university officials to make them aware of our concerns. To demonstrate the challenges faced by students with disabilities we took our University President Stanley Marshall and other officials for a campus tour in a wheelchair and blindfolded some of them. We showed them how difficult things were for students with disabilities. Our accomplishments included ramps, curb cuts, changing mailboxes from a combination lock to a key lock for our visually impaired students, and getting large print and braille publications, including Playboy (no pictures) into our library. We also set up a reader and volunteer service. I lobbied the legislature on the need for funds to make the campus safer for students with disabilities. The result was a $200,000 appropriation in the state budget. In three short years, we worked together to make FSU 70% accessible in three years. My work resulted in the creation of a Disabled Students Program, as part of the Office of Minority Student Affairs. Dr. Bill Gamble and Dr. Freddie Groomes helped us make contacts within the university and supported our efforts. Now it is an independent department in the University. In 2012 Gail and I were invited back to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Disabled Students Program. We presented a workshop on the history of the program

10 and met with the current staff to discuss some of their issues on campus. While a student at FSU I was also the state legislative chair for the Florida Council of Handicapped Organizations (FCHO). We worked successfully to get legislation passed that help improved the lives of people with disabilities. We provided information to legislators and testified before committees. The FCHO also published a newspaper which highlighted many of the needs of people with disabilities. One issue in which we succeeded was lobbying to have the Bureau of Blind Services upgraded to a division. We also successfully advocated for a change in the staffing of the Bureau of Blind Services at FSU. We were pleased to welcome a simpatico counselor to represent the student’s needs. My work at FSU resulted in the Golden Key International Honour Society at FSU selected me to be member. The Society emphasizes community service as well as peer networking and leadership opportunities. (https://nolecentral.dsa.fsu.edu/organization/goldenkeyinternation alhonoursociety). I was also presented with an award by President Stanley Marshall for my efforts on behalf of students with disabilities.

One issue I fought for tenaciously was to get consumer representation on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees. Senator Verle Pope, who represented St. Augustine, worked very hard against my efforts. We lost the in 1972. He died in 1973. In 1974 we went back to the legislature and said the late Senator was a person who really cared about people with disabilities. We finally won. Today there is a person who has a visual impairment and one who has a hearing impairment on the Board of Trustees. The lesson: Don’t give up too easily. Is there an issue or a policy for which you would like to advocate?  What is the issue?  Who might support your cause?  Who might oppose it and why?  What strategy is needed to accomplish your goal? Educating Elected Officials Sometimes personal issues become state law. At age 18 I could not cash a check since I did not have a driver’s license (I am legally blind) or a credit card. I spoke to Representative John Savage and Senator Bruce Smathers about this problem. Their staffs researched how other states resolved this issue. As a result, in 1973 Florida created the non-driver’s identification card (SB 1086) based on a law in Maryland was created in 1973. The

12 law was good for people with disabilities as well as young non- drivers. I heard a lecture by a person working for the Department of Motor Vehicles who said that the non-drivers ID card has saved lives by giving people who had to give up driving an alternative to keeping a driver’s license for identification. While a summer student in 1973 at Miami-Dade Community College I conducted an accessibility survey which resulted in improvements for students with disabilities at that institution as well. Volunteer in a state organization or in a local non-profit that addresses community problems. Become a voice on that subject. I was appointed to the Governor’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped by Florida Governor Reuben Askew. We developed public relations campaigns to promote the hiring of people with disabilities. Join AmeriCorp (www.nationalservice.gov) and become a VISTA volunteer. In 1976 I served as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteer in Columbia, South Carolina. As part of my responsibilities I developed a resource guide on community services for the poor in four county area and an accessibility guide for persons with disabilities. We operated a food pantry and did home repairs. We helped seniors apply for

13 government services and benefits. We were warmly received by the community. In 1978 I moved to New York and while in Yeshiva volunteered in several organizations. Some of the work we did included a food stamp campaign, a survey of the needs of seniors in Far Rockaway. In 1984 I was invited by Rabbi Martin Schloss, Director of the Jewish Board of Education in New York, to chair the first workshop for educators entitled “Visual Impairment: Sensitivity and Adaptations for the Classroom”. This focused on the needs of the blind and visually impaired students in Jewish education in New York. This topic resonated strongly for me because as a student preparing for my Bar Mitzvah in 1964. I was unable to locally acquire materials in Hebrew. Only the Jewish Braille Institute could provide a large print haftorah and I had to fly to New York to obtain it. Educating the Public There are many ways to air concerns, including through meetings, newsletters, and workshops for the public, co-workers and colleagues. Learn what needs there are in your community and advocate for solutions to those problems.

While living in New York I worked for the Center for Independent Living. I was the managing editor of Alternatives, a monthly national advocacy newspaper for people with disabilities. The newspaper enabled us to explore issues in depth and show how various policies affected our consumers. One issue we explored was closed captioning, which the NBC said would be too expensive due to a “lack of interest” …by the “potential audience”. (Alternatives, March April 1982) Today, the networks are making money off the use of closed captioning. Educating Elected Officials There are many ways to educate your elected officials. Position papers, fact sheets, newsletters, personal meetings and lobbying are just some of the ways to engage with your elected officials. If you have an expertise on a particular subject you may have the opportunity to work closely with an official on a particular issue. Working for an elected official doesn’t hurt either. In 1980 I worked for New York State Senator Donald Halperin as his community affairs liaison. I made him aware of many issues of concern to older adults and people with disabilities such as the need for accessible buses and subways. I also provided technical support and assistance in organizing block and tenant associations. Other duties included helping Senator Halperin form a coalition in the Shorefront area of Brooklyn to identify problems

15 faced by the newly arriving Russian community and help integrate them into the community. Community Organizing and Training While working for the Joint Public Affairs Committee for Older Adults in New York I organized social action committees and programs in senior centers. We provided training sessions that taught successful strategies and skills to effectively advocate for issues of concern to seniors. These sessions included learning about the legislative process and how to contact elected officials. We organized letter writing campaigns, legislative and candidate forums on various issues and held rallies to promote our causes. As the union shop steward for the Brooklyn JASA staff I worked to advocate for the specific needs of our employees. We were allowed to leave two hours early before Shabbat on Fridays or before holidays. When I approached the union representative and asked that he include this perk permanently in our demands, our request was rebuked. While sitting at the negotiating table I brought it up over the union’s objections. We won and retained that benefit. Organizing a Rally to Maximize Support In 1988 I coordinated the SSI Advocacy Group rally in Albany New York to increase the state share of the federal Supplemental Security Income program. We won. My advocacy

16 efforts brought me recognition when I was named an “Outstanding Young Man in America” in 1989. Litigation is another form of advocacy. Sometimes lawsuits are necessary to get government or businesses to respond and act upon an issue. I would include representing consumers as an advocate before housing court hearings and Medicaid and Food Stamps administrative appeals. Community Organizing As a tenant organizer in Brooklyn I (and now Senator) Chuck Schumer successfully mediated landlord-tenant disputes. My efforts often included going to housing court as an advocate for tenants who were being mistreated by landlords. Attorneys tried to say I was practicing law without a license to get rid of me, but their efforts failed. Everyone has a right to have someone help them in any adversarial situation. We organized many tenant associations in Brooklyn. While working for the Jewish Association for Services for the Aged I handled many Medicaid and Food Stamp appeals. I never lost a fair hearing. I found that agency employees often forgot to document work with clients of failed to include information or copies of forms. I also handled a few Social Security appeals as an advocate. I learned that you have to carefully document every aspect of someone’s disability.

Educating Elected Officials and Research While working at JASA I developed an expertise on topics of concern to seniors. Congressman Chuck Schumer asked me to advise him on senior issues. My research on health care involved exploring how other countries provided health. When your state representative, senator, or congressmember is in your community request an appointment. You may have to meet with a staff person. Attend town hall meetings. Candidates may come to you to learn about your issues. When now Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was running for the state senate, she came to the Broward Center for Independent Living, where I worked, and asked us to inform and educate her about topics of concern to us. Educating the Public Educating members of organizations about issues that are important to them is another type of advocacy. For example, in the 1980s many synagogues and educational programs were not accessible to people with disabilities (and many still aren’t). I became a member of the New York Jewish Federation Medical Ethics Committee and worked with religious and community leaders to address this inequity.

Martin Krossel and I started the movement to improve access to people in the Orthodox community. Martin invited me to be the keynote speaker at a conference on disability rights in Toronto. The Disabled Activists for Accessibility and Services and the Jewish Organization for Disabled Adults was created to advocate for people with disabilities in the Jewish community. I have given presentations in synagogues in Florida and New York on promoting access to people with disabilities. As a Master’s Degree student at Hunter College School of Social Work I had a placement as a community organizer and program administrator. I became the Director of Project Help, a volunteer program which provided telephone reassurance calls and friendly visiting to several hundred homebound seniors in Brooklyn. With a grant from New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities I became director of the JASA Outreach to Developmentally Disabled Older Adults. It was a program to mainstream people with developmental disabilities into community based senior centers. I had to advocate to allow older adults with developmental disabilities to retire from sheltered employment and attend programs in their communities. I was successful in helping twelve older adults retire from sheltered workshops. One of the seniors became a volunteer

19 coordinator in her senior center. This woman was rescued from a mental health facility by a nurse who advocated on her behalf. Her parents placed her there when she was born with cerebral palsy. Another senior thrived as a successful artist. Educational Conferences My advocacy efforts at JASA included developing a conference on aging and disability. The “Wit to Win” conference brought together professionals in the developmental disabilities and aging communities to discuss how to meet the needs of older adults with developmental disabilities and integrate them into the community. Another educational conference was held in 1992 where I was on a panel discussing “How to Assess and Modify the Environment for Older Persons with a Disability”. While working at JASA I helped facilitate the creation of the Disabled Elderly Advocates of New York, a coalition of agencies working with these two populations. We held a legislative conference in 1988. We had elected officials, consumers, caregivers, and providers in attendance. In 1991 I spoke at a conference sponsored by the Committee on Issues in Retirement sponsored by State Society on Aging of New York. My topic was “Enhancing the Integration of Older Adults with Disabilities.

My office was in Canarsie where I provided casework services to seniors. In that capacity I helped organize and spoke at a “Senior Rights and Benefits” conference. Speakers included various elected officials who spoke about the legislative process and programs for seniors. I also presented an update on Medicare at the Brooklyn public library in Canarsie. In 1993 I accepted a position as Director of the Forest Hills Community House. While in that position I brought in many elected officials to provide legislative updates. I also edited Centerscope, the center newsletter. I wrote articles about legislation, effectively interacting with someone with a disability and community happenings. I conducted a workshop on mainstreaming older adults with developmental disabilities into senior centers for the Council of Senior Centers and Services in New York. Client Advocacy When I returned to Florida in 1994, I worked for the Broward Lighthouse for the Blind as a job developer. I had to advocate for the employment of people with visual disabilities. I successfully placed a number of clients. Convincing potential employers that with proper accommodation people with visual disabilities could perform their assigned job tasks was a challenge. I organized a job fair and workshop on employment of people with disabilities.

I maintained my interest in the field of aging and disability. On two occasions the Broward Area Agency on Aging invited me to present workshops on “Mainstreaming Older Adults with Developmental Disabilities” and “Living and Aging with a Disability” at their annual conferences. My roles included chairing the conference planning committee and presenting on “Developing Effective Training Programs”. In 2006 I chaired a major conference and resource fair on living and aging with a disability. The Home Health Corporation of America and Alternative Home Health Care invited me to present a workshop on aging to their home care staff. Human Trafficking is a major problem in Florida and throughout the country. The Broward County Human Trafficking Working Group sponsored a conference for first responders. My presentation was about community resources. I produced a human trafficking resource guide for the conference. After passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 there was a great need for educating the public, businesses, and social service agencies and government officials about this new law. In April 1995 the Lighthouse for the Blind and the Broward County Library co-sponsored an all-day conference entitled “The Americans with Disabilities Act: It’s the Law”.

Educational conferences are another way to educate an organization’s members about social policy and relevant issues. Starting in 1996 I began to be invited to present workshops for several organizations at their annual conferences, including The Association of Non-Profit Organizations, The National Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter, The Society for Social Work Leaders in Health Care, Florida Chapter and Coalition for Optimal Mental Health and Aging. Workshop topics included:  “Working in the Health Care Setting”,  “Patient Advocacy in the Health Care Setting”  “Social Worker as Advocate: From Campaigning to Policy Making”,  “When Your Client has a Disability”, “Networking Throughout Your Career”  “Lobbyist: Social Worker as Advocate”  “The Legislative Process”,  “The Americans with Disabilities Act”,  “Navigating the Maze of Social Services”,  “Aging and Disability”,  “Legislative Advocacy”  “Working with People with Disabilities”

The production of newsletters for non-profit organizations was a way of combining my interests in journalism and human services. The much-acclaimed Health and Social Services Networker, which I edited, had news about social services and a popular calendar of marketing and educational opportunities in the social services field. Coalition Building The Health and Social Services Advocate Newsletter that I edited included the legislative priorities of various health and social service organizations. Joining the legislative committees of various organizations whose focus was on senior issues and health care enabled me to continue my advocacy efforts in Florida. Joining committees that further your agenda can be beneficial. As a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Senior Services Committee I was active in promoting support for Israel and for seniors. Many years after my feelings about the building of I-95 I was sitting on the Broward County and City of Hollywood transportation committees. During the 90s I led an effort to deny a request by the Florida turnpike to build an off-ramp that would have destroyed a Black church and removed a parking area from

24 another. My outrage at injustice did not abate and as an adult I was able to rectify some state wrongs. As a member of these committees I worked to promote public transportation over building more roads. Currently, I am a member of the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Council in Palm Beach County, working to improve public transportation and paratransit services. Being a member of a committee can give you access to other officials. This access gave me the opportunity to present a workshop for City of Hollywood managers and supervisors on the ADA and program accessibility. Many professional and civic organizations present opportunities for making a presentation before their membership. If possible, arrange to speak on a particular issue to gain support. Any presentation should include an action step. What should they do next to address this issue? Have names and phone numbers for whom participants can contact to take action on your issue. Issues can range from seeking support for legislation to learning about community resources. I made presentations to numerous organizations. For example,  The Elder Services Resource Network,  Women in Healthcare,  Broward Coalition on Aging,

 Dade Association for Healthcare Quality,  Florida Association of Social Workers,  Florida Council on Aging,  Alliance for Dementia Professionals and the  Palm Beach Partnership for Aging. The topics I addressed on were Medicaid, Medicare, the legislative process, mainstreaming older adults with developmental disabilities into community based senior centers, transportation for seniors and community resources. My presentation on planning for the future for parents with disabilities was well received by the families at the Schott Communities for Persons Who are Deaf or Disabled in Cooper City, Florida. Today, many people get their news and information from the Internet and social media. Writing blogs or articles for newspapers or websites detailing a particular topic can help readers better understand an issue. Informational articles enable readers to learn about many topics. The public can be educated about community resources, public policies, or local advocacy efforts. Beware of fake news. Check a variety of sources to confirm what you read on the Internet or hear on television. Journalism has been in my blood as early as 1968 when I wrote articles for the Woodhaven NY Leader -Observer. I

26 continued my interest in journalism as Exchange Editor at JFK Junior High School and as a reporter for the Pioneer, the student newspaper at North Miami High School. Through the years I have contributed articles on social services and legislation to the Jewish Week and Senior Citizen Advocate. While working in Canarsie I was a regular contributor for the Canarsie Courier. In Florida I helped launch the Today’s Caregiver Magazine as the Professional Issues editor. I wrote a Senior Savvy column in the Miami Herald. After moving to Century Village in Boca I started a monthly Savvy Senior column in the COBRUA Reporter, the Village newspaper, on politics, advocacy and social services. Educating Elected Officials Writing letters to the editor and articles in local newspapers can be an effective way to educate elected officials and the general public about issues. Letters to the editor reflect opinions on both sides of an issue. Being part of an organization may present opportunities to train members on effective lobbying or advocacy. As state legislative chair for the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers I co-authored an Advocacy Guide and Toolkit for Social Workers and Mental Health Professionals (referenced

27 elsewhere). This toolkit was used by social workers on Lobby Day at the capital in Tallahassee. Educate the public about the legislative process: Introduce communities and constituencies to the legislators who represent them. See Appendix 1 for some guidelines on legislative advocacy and lobbying. Client Advocacy Whether you are working in an agency or in private practice advocacy is an important part of your work. Clients come to you for many different reasons. In an agency setting they may need help applying for government programs. You may be in a position as I described above where you have to help a client through an appeals process. You may have to help fill out forms. The client needs you to be their advocate. I have heard many clinicians tell me they don’t know anything about advocacy. When a client is in therapy, they are often in stress due to other issues. What goes on in their life obviously has an impact on their reason for therapy. They may need to learn how to navigate the maze of social services. They may need referrals to other agencies or programs and help in learning self-advocacy skills. It is important to be aware of laws and regulations that may be impacting your client and your profession. Like I said earlier, you and your clients are involved in

28 politics every day of your life. Therapists need to be familiar with public policy as it impacts on your personal life. Serving as the head of an organization or being on their board of directors presents other opportunities for advocacy. I was the Chairman of the Broward Unit of the National Association of Social Workers and was their state Legislative Chair. I was also Health Policy Chair and President of the Florida Chapter of the Society for Social Worker Leadership in Health Care (SSWLHC). These positions enabled me to advocate for a variety of issues pertinent to social workers and health care. I received several awards for my efforts, including Social Worker of the Year for SSWLHC. Board membership enables you to promote issues that improve the services to clients. I accomplished this as a board member for the Jewish Family Services (JFS) in Broward County and the Legal Aid Society in Broward County. On the JFS board I dealt with professional issues as well. It also gave me an opportunity to advocate for services for my father who lived in Dallas, Texas. Since he lived just outside the city limits, I could not arrange services. Our new agency director had just left JFS in Dallas. She made one phone call and got him services. This experience also made me an advocate for improving rural health care.

Now, living in Century Village in Boca Raton, I worked with the Low Vision Support Group to successfully advocate for all print materials to be available in large print for our residents with visual disabilities. I worked with others to improve lighting in our community. I now organize health fairs and community resource expos at Century Village in Boca Raton and Kings Point in Delray Beach. Their services are brought directly to the people living in south Palm Beach County. Upwards of 500 residents attend these events. Now people can apply for government services and programs in their communities. A turning point in my life occurred when I moved to Century Village. I met my second wife, a retired New York City school teacher, who has been a loving and supportive companion. We spend our summers in Tannersville, New York. I cannot seem to stay out of trouble. While vacationing in Tannersville I have continued my advocacy efforts. I produced a community resource guide which has had an overwhelming response from the community. I have also advocated for improving health care services for the general public and for substance abusers. Self-Advocacy: My Favorite Topic Self-advocacy means learning how to speak up for yourself in an effective manner. Whether dealing with government agencies, health care providers or others, you need to be able to

30 get your message across effectively so your needs are met or concerns are addressed. You must first know yourself, know what you need, and how to get it. Sometimes you need to advocate for personal things that you believe in. After my Bar Mitzvah. United Synagogue Youth and Rabbi Max Lipschitz gave me the background in Judaism, However, after my Bar Mitzvah, I felt that Conservative Judaism no longer met my religious needs. With the influence of Rabbi Naftali Porush, my grandfather and uncles I became slowly became more orthodox. I had to advocate within my own family to enable me to pursue my newly founded religious beliefs. When I was pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Hunter College in New York the school decided to add two floors to our building. Students with disabilities requested input into the building plans and but we were refused. When the two floors were finished, we discovered a few architectural mistakes. The bathroom door and toilet stall door were not properly placed to allow access. There also was a step going onto an outdoor patio. We were able to get them to remedy the problem. An even better example of this is when I was visiting a state fair in Dallas, Texas. There was a beautifully built ramp going into an exhibit hall. However, there was one step at the entrance on

31 top. The staff said there was a ramp for people who use wheelchairs. No one was aware of the step. The lesson here is that people with disabilities need to be involved in the planning of any construction or renovations. We need to insist on input so mistakes aren’t made that are costly to fix later. To be a good self-advocate you need to know where to go for help and who to ask. There are many resources in the community that can help. Resource guides are a good way to learn what is available in your community. I have written many resource guides during my career, dealing with topics including accessibility, community resources and human trafficking. A guide to help you or your client navigate the maze of social services can be found in appendix 3. The Health and Social Services Navigator Resource Guide, published from 2004-2011, was used in health care facilities from Indian River County to Miami-Dade County. I still get calls requesting copies. I now have resources on my website, www.flnavigator.com. I also organize health fairs and community resource expos to being services directly to residents of south Palm Beach County. A guide to help you or your client navigate the maze of social services can be found in Appendix 3.

A good source for help which is underutilized is our elected officials. They have staff trained to deal with issues like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, immigration, and other government programs. Another form of self-advocacy is helping others learn how to interact appropriately with people with disabilities. You may have to show a caregiver or health care professional how to best help you in a given situation. Medical students and students in other health care professions need to learn how to interact appropriately with people with disabilities. They need to be familiar with relevant laws such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. In 2015 the Nova University Medical School invited me to present a workshop on working with people with disabilities and the American with Disabilities Act. I also made a poster presentation on locating and accessing community resources. Caregivers are important advocates for those who are unable to help themselves. They play an important role in advocating for their parents who need services. It is important to let service providers know what services they need. See appendix 3 for help in navigating the maze of services.

Through the years I had time to understand and overcome my disabilities and been able to turn them into an advantage. When I was born the doctors did not think I would ever be able to see, walk, or talk. They recommended institutionalization. I obviously proved them wrong. I wanted to show my MSW diploma to that doctor, but he died years ago. Parental advocacy on behalf of children with disabilities is an important form of advocacy. In the 1950s and even today children are born with disabilities and the medical field recommends institutionalization. Parents stood up to the medical field back when I was born and kept their children at home and saw them thrive with some assistance. United Cerebral Palsy was started because parents joined forces and advocated for services for their children. My parents thankfully did not listen to the doctors. www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/research/history/ Since my early years I have developed a special sensitivity to the needs of others. As I have proven throughout my life, with patience (from myself and others) and some individual assistance, I have been successful on in life in spite of my disabilities. As I find myself at an age of the clients I used to service, I am now more keenly aware of the issues and concerns of older adults and especially people with disabilities.