Advocacy Strategies for Health and Mental Health Professionals: From Patients to Policies

"[I]t is becoming much more common for  mental health providers  to become community mental health advocates,  and given the complexities  and nuances associated with tasks such as  getting involved with  legislative issues or fund raising, a work like  this serves an important  and useful purpose. It is concise, yet  revealing, and explains concepts  in clear and practical language. Most  importantly, it delivers on its  promise to transform its readers into  more savvy participants in the  process of advocating for their mental  health patients."--Doody's Medical Reviews

"This   book provides a valuable introduction to the discerning mental health   practitioner who wants to apply their advocacy skills into their   everyday work place."--ACAMH, The Association for Child and Adolescent  Mental Health

"Great  book! Learning  to be an effective advocate in multiple arenas is  essential for all  health professionals, particularly physicians. This  text utilizes a  broad definition of advocacy and provides information  that can be used  by multiple types of providers to learn effective  strategies to educate  and inform others. It is readable with fascinating  case examples and  practical tips that can be utilized flexibly across a  range of issues,  formats and audiences. It is a great addition to the  libraries of  anyone practicing in the health care field, regardless of  specialty or  years of practice." 

 
Arden D Dingle, MD
Program Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Emory University School of Medicine 

A   wealth of advocacy tools for health and mental health professionals at   all levels of training and practice are included in this clear and   comprehensive volume. Written by medical, legal, and policy experts, it   fills a void in the literature by addressing multiple topics in  advocacy  in the health field as a whole. The text addresses the  legislative  process, provides step-by-step approaches for using the  media, and  discusses when to seek an attorney, when to litigate,  working with  family and community, and funding strategies. It also  covers such  seldom-addressed topics as leveraging research findings for  advocacy  purposes.

Two outstanding  features of the text are a  discussion of the rationale for advocacy and  a call for readers to  examine their own motivations for this work, and  a chapter by health  educators who provide guidance about advances in  learning theory that  will help readers assimilate the material. The  volume will serve as both  a resource for advocacy coursework and as a  guide for the independent  practitioner of advocacy.

Key Features:

• Provides a wealth of advocacy tools for health professionals at all levels of training and practice
• Written in a clear, straightforward manner for easy access
• Includes   a unique metacognitive theory that will help readers to thoroughly   integrate the information and provides tools for self-analysis
• Highlights main teaching points with summaries, case studies, and reflection questions