CORE CONCEPTS
Befriending
- Building trust and rapport with individuals, which is crucial for understanding their needs
and concerns, and for effective advocacy.
- Ex. A volunteer at a homeless shelter spends time talking and listening to a resident,
building a rapport that can lead to a deeper understanding of their needs and concerns.
Counseling
- Providing guidance and support to individuals, which can help them identify their rights,
make informed decisions, and advocate themselves.
- Ex. A therapist works with a survivor of domestic violence, helping them process their
experiences, develop coping strategies, and make informed decisions about their future.
Choices
- Empowering individuals to make their own choices and decisions, which is a fundamental
aspect of advocacy.
- Ex. A disability rights advocate helps an individual with disabilities navigate the complex
process of choosing a long-term care facility, ensuring their preferences are respected.
Mediation
- Facilitating communication and conflict resolution between individuals and institutions,
which can be a powerful tool for advocacy.
- Ex. A mediator facilitates a meeting between a tenant and landlord, helping them to
communicate effectively and reach a mutually agreeable solution to a housing dispute.
Legal Support
- Providing legal advice and representation to individuals, which can help them protect their
rights and pursue justice.
- Ex. A public defender represents a low-income individual accused of a crime, ensuring they
receive a fair trial and have their rights protected.
Rights
- Understanding and upholding the rights of individuals, which is a central goal of advocacy.
- Ex. An immigrant rights organization educates undocumented immigrants about their rights
and provides legal assistance to those facing deportation.
Having a Voice
- Amplifying the voices of individuals and marginalized communities, which is essential for
advocacy.
- Ex. A youth activist organizes a protest to raise awareness about climate change and
demand action from policymakers.
Support
- Providing emotional, practical, and financial support to individuals, which can help them
overcome barriers and advocate for themselves.
- Ex. A crisis hotline provides emotional support to individuals experiencing a mental health
crisis, connecting them with resources and services.
Dependency
- Recognizing the potential for dependency on advocates and working to empower
individuals to advocate for themselves.
- Ex. An advocate works with a person with a disability to help them develop the skills
and confidence to advocate for themselves, reducing their reliance on others.
Impartiality
- Maintaining objectively and neutrally in advocacy work, which is crucial for building
trust and credibility.
- Ex. A social worker remains neutral when working with a family experiencing
domestic violence, ensuring that all parties have fair opportunity to be heard.
Making Decisions
- Empowering individuals to make their own decisions, which is a key aspect of
advocacy.
- Ex. A healthcare advocate helps a patient with dementia make decisions about their
end-of-life care, ensuring their wishes are respected.
Representation
- Speaking on behalf individuals and communities, which is a core function of
advocacy.
- Ex. A labor union representative negotiates with employers on behalf of workers,
fighting for fair wages, benefits and working conditions.
Advice
- Providing guidance and recommendations to individuals, which can help them make
informed decisions and take action.
- Ex. A financial advisor provides guidance to a low-income family on how to budget
their money and save for the future.
Empowerment
- Empowering individuals to take control of their own lives and advocate for
themselves, which is the ultimate goal of advocacy.
- Ex. A community organizer mobilizes residents to address local issues, building their
capacity to advocate for change.