COMMUNITY ADVOCACY: A PSYCHOLOGIST’S TOOLKIT FOR STATE AND LOCAL ADVOCACY Developed by Toolkit Taskforce Members:* *Authors listed in alphabetical order Kira Hudson Banks Christopher T. H. Liang Sara Beachy Kenneth I. Maton Angela Ferguson Haley A. Miles-McLean Robyn L. Gobin Rebecca L. Toporek Ivy Ho COMMUNITY ADVOCACY: A PSYCHOLOGIST’S TOOLKIT FOR STATE AND LOCAL ADVOCACY Developed by Toolkit Taskforce Members:* *Authors listed in alphabetical order Kira Hudson Banks Christopher T. H. Liang Sara Beachy Kenneth I. Maton Angela Ferguson Haley A. Miles-McLean Robyn L. Gobin Rebecca L. Toporek Ivy Ho TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 Commission 6 Acknowledgments 7 Preface 8 Brief Statement on Values 9 Definitions and Distinctions 12 Psychologists as Advocates 15 Psychologists’ Skills for Successful Advocacy 18 The Policy Arena 20 Getting Started in Advocacy 23 A Primer on Advocacy 23 Focusing Effort 28 Strategic Analysis 30 Policy Influence Methods 32 Direct Advocacy Methods 36 Direct or Indirect Advocacy Methods 39 Indirect Advocacy Methods 44 Institutional or Organizational Advocacy 46 Challenges to Advocacy Work and the Need for Self-Care 47 Internal Challenges 48 External Challenges 49 How to Sustain 51 Ethical Considerations 54 Conclusion 56 References 60 Web Addresses for Hyperlinks 62 Additional Electronic Resources COMMISSION Commissioned by 2017 American Psychological Association (APA) CODAPAR Interdivisional Grant Awarded to: Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology (Arpana G. Inman, President, 2018) Division 27 Society for Community Research and Action (Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, President, 2018) Division 35 Society for the Psychology of Women (Margaret L. Signorella, President, 2018) Division 45 Society for the Psychology Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race (Helen Neville, President, 2018) 5 COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful for the advocacy training session specifically arranged for us and led by Amalia Corby-Edwards of the American Psychologi- cal Association (APA) Public Interest Government Relations Office. We also appreciate the contributions of other APA staff members to the training session, our four divisional presidents, and the financial sup- port provided by the CODAPAR Interdivisional Grant. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6 see them as companions. Some focus solely PREFACE on federal advocacy1 for psychologists2; some highlight human-rights based3 approaches and the importance of evalua- This Advocacy Toolkit developed as a result tion4; others focus on children5; others, still, of a joint effort between four divisions of focus on community6 based advocacy. the American Psychological Association These and other tools are important (APA): Division 17, the Society of Counseling resources for psychologists engaging in Psychology; Division 27, the Society for advocacy. This current toolkit is distinctive Community Research and Action; Division in its focus on psychologists’ involvement in 35, the Society for the Psychology of Wom- state and local advocacy and its coverage of en; and Division 45, the Society for the advocacy across all branches (legislative, Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity executive, judicial) of government. and Race. The goals were to develop a science-based, high-quality advocacy Numerous examples of psychologists are toolkit that highlights different forms of included, along with hyperlinks to provide advocacy strategies to inform policy at the access to more in-depth information and state and local levels and to build a com- “how to” guides. For those with a print munity of grassroots psychologist advo- version of this document, the web address- cates that can intervene to promote es (URLs) for the hyperlinks can be found in well-being in the communities in which the Web Addresses for Hyperlinks section they reside. near the end of the toolkit. We understand that psychologists are coming to this document with a range of experiences and knowledge. Our hope is to provide a toolkit that facilitates the novice and adds to the knowledge base of those who are seasoned. The purpose of this document is to guide psychologists’ efforts to influence decision-makers as well as governmental, institutional, and organiza- tional policies. We acknowledge other existing advocacy toolkits and would like our work to be seen in collaboration with this body of knowl- edge. We have learned from and built upon the foundation made by these toolkits and 7 PREFACE BRIEF STATEMENT ON VALUES Several values guided this document. We believe in broad participa- tion, collaboration, and culturally responsive advocacy -- we take into consideration the particular needs and circumstances of the groups with whom we serve. Our stance is to work in partnership with com- munities rather than for or on behalf of them. We see psychologists engaging in advocacy as acting in the public interest and acting in alignment with APA’s mission “to advance the creation, communica- tion and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2019). BRIEF STATEMENT ON VALUES 8 DEFINITIONS AND DISTINCTIONS governmental rules and regulations as well DEFINITIONS AND as accepted practices and norms within an DISTINCTIONS organization or institution. At times, advocacy has been conflated with activism, because the behaviors that indi- Terms related to advocacy often go unde- viduals engage in can overlap. While similar, fined. Or, perhaps they are so often used advocacy can involve either an internal that we are hesitant to admit we are not pathway of influence through direct con- certain about their meaning. In reality, some tact with decision-makers, or an external terms overlap or are used interchangeably pathway of influence through contact with when there are in fact distinctions. Shared others who influence decision-makers. language is an important first step in the Alternatively, activism typically involves an process of advocacy, so we have attempted external pathway of influence and relies on to define and make distinctions between techniques of pressure and persuasion to some common terms. challenge oppression and push for change. Watts and colleagues (2003) have offered There are several definitions of advocacy, a simple definition of activism, namely, which can be summarized as “action taken doing something about oppression. Advo- to support a particular outcome or cause” cacy often occurs within a system with the (Toporek, Kwan, & Williams, 2012, p. 306). assumption that with enough sharing of More specifically, Toporek and Liu (2001) information the system will respond effec- described advocacy as a continuum ranging tively. On the other hand, activism is more from empowerment to social action likely to indict the system and take an depending on the target of advocacy. For approach that recognizes the rigid nature of example, advocacy focused on a specific oppression. From a societal level, advocacy individual may reflect individually focused and activism can be in alignment with the interventions aimed toward client empow- goal of social justice. Social justice has the erment (e.g., in a clinical situation), and at goal of promoting “a common humanity of the macro level advocacy aimed at larger all social groups by valuing diversity and systems may reflect social action. Empow- challenging injustice and disparities in all its erment could also take place at a group or forms” (e.g., health, educational, economic, community level, such as working with and political inequities; Leong, Pickrens & communities in capacity building. Specific Vasquez, 2017, p. 779). Advocacy can be to psychology, advocacy refers to promot- pursued by any individual, and training ing the application of psychological knowl- exists to increase the effectiveness of edge to inform policy (APA, 2014). When we advocacy in creating social change. think about “policy”, laws often come to mind. However, policy can also refer to 10 COMMUNITY ADVOCACY Although advocacy and activism can hap- pen in a variety of settings and be directed at various targets, lobbying is a form of advocacy that often occurs within the context of legislation and executive branch decision-making. Lobbying is directed at influencing governmental officials to vote a certain way or take a specific course of action and is conducted by registered lobbyists. Guidelines and policies regarding lobbying often vary from state to state depending on the arena in which one is lobbying. Another distinction is that while lobbying targets governmental laws, regula- tions, and services that enhance the well- being of citizens, advocacy and activism can also target institutional or organizational policy, which refer to what institutional or organizational leaders expect their mem- bers to do (Maton, 2017). These distinctions can be helpful as individuals make sense of who is the target of advocacy and the different dynamics that are at play in the realm of seeking social justice. DEFINITIONS AND DISTINCTIONS 11 PSYCHOLOGISTS AS ADVOCATES disciplines and advocacy groups whether PSYCHOLOGISTS AS through coalitions or in a consultative role. It is imperative that psychologists’ knowl- ADVOCATES edge and voices inform social and institu- tional policies, despite challenges and risks involved in advocacy work as discussed Psychology, as the study of the mind and later in this toolkit. behavior, has great potential to “benefit society and improve lives” (APA, 2019). There are numerous examples of the Psychologists have expertise regarding