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Models of Advocacy
Advocacy belongs to the family of conflict resolution.
Conflict can be resolved using two parties or three parties
depending on whether a model for mediation, conciliation,
negotiation or advocacy is used. Advocacy means to advocate
for or defend how you feel about something by advancing a certain
viewpoint.
The Nationwide Health and Disability Advocacy Service advocates
use an empowerment model with a strength-based approach.
Figure 1 - Family of Conflict Resolution
Types of advocacy
Advocacy fits on a continuum of
influence
Empowerment
advocacy
A
strengths-based approach
Types of
Advocacy
The different forms of advocacy are not necessarily mutually
exclusive and do not have neat boundaries, for example (this is not
an exhaustive list):
Self Advocacy - This is standing up for one's
self. Anyone can act as his or her own advocate. It is
when a person makes an informed decision about a matter of
importance and then takes responsibility for bringing about the
change necessary to make that choice a reality.
Peer Advocacy - takes place when the individual
providing the help has been through, or is going through, a similar
experience. This is also known as support advocacy
and is often used by support groups
Best Interest Advocacy -
Decisions are made by someone considered to have the best interests
of the consumer in mind and/or who is considered to have the
knowledge needed to make an informed decision - often on behalf of
the consumer. The consumer may not be part of the decision
making process.
Statutory Advocacy - is where someone is
appointed with legal responsibility to represent another such as a
welfare guardian.
Crisis Advocacy - uses a one to one
relationship between a paid or unpaid advocate and someone who is
at risk of being mistreated or excluded. This is usually a
short-term one-off arrangement organised to deal with crisis.
Professional/Specialist Advocacy - is most
widely recognised as legal advocacy, but may also be provided by
others who provide specialist advocacy service such as HDC
advocates specialising in advocacy under the Health and Disability
Commissioner Act.
Political Advocacy - can include lobbying and
is the advancement of particular viewpoints at a political level on
behalf of a group of people.
Advocacy fits
on a continuum of influence
At one end of the continuum is protest, in the middle is
advocacy and at the other end of the continuum is lobbying.
Along the continuum of influence, protest is at the beginning and
is usually carried out by action groups rather than
individuals.
Advocacy is divided into two main types of advocacy,
case and cause or systemic
advocacy. An individual or groups of
individuals either carry out case advocacy by themselves as
self-advocates or using paid or unpaid advocates who either support
or represent their case.
A Work and Income New Zealand beneficiary advocating for
eligibility to an accommodation allowance or a health and
disability advocate advocating alongside a health service consumer
for an apology from a general practitioner where the consumer
believes her rights have been breached, are examples of
case advocacy.
Cause or systemic advocacy is where an
individual or group advocates on the need to bring about changes to
a structure, system, policy or legislation. This form of
advocacy does not focus on an individual but instead represents the
rights and interests of a group with similar concerns and
issues. Systemic advocacy from the perspective of an HDC
advocate could relate to a local service or it could be based on a
regional or national service systems failure.
Health and disability advocates are also required to bring any
matters to the Commissioner relating to the rights of health and
disability service consumers, which, in the advocate's opinion
should be drawn to his attention.
These types of referrals often relate to issues of public safety
and are seen as systemic issues.
Political advocacy is most effective when the lobbyist or
advocate has some influence in the corridors of power.
Lobbyists are usually interested in influencing policy and
legislation at local and central government levels.
This is part of the Director of Advocacy's role to submit
submissions and comment on policy affecting consumers and their
rights.
Figure 2 - Continuum of Influence
Empowerment advocacy
Health and disability advocates use what is called empowerment
advocacy to assist or act on behalf of a consumer. This
requires them to direct the process to assist the consumer to
resolve his or her complaint rather than directing the content of
the complaint.
The aims of empowerment are to assist consumers to see:
- themselves as people with rights who have the resources to find
solutions to their own problems;
- themselves as having skills and strengths;
- advocates as having knowledge and skills that consumers can
use;
- advocates as peers and partners in finding solutions and
driving change;
- that power structures are complex and partly open to
influence.
The advocate's role that works best in empowerment is as a:
Resources person - linking consumers to
resources in ways which improve their confidence and solution
finding abilities;
Coach/Mentor - teaching processes and skills,
imparting knowledge and information that enable the consumer to
retain control of their own concerns and issues.
Figure 3 - Empowerment Continuum[1]:
People from time to time may find themselves at different places
on the empowerment continuum (see Figure 3 above) depending on the
issue they are facing, the level of support they have, their
wellness, ability, motivation, the information and or knowledge
they have.
Generally, those people who are experiencing disempowerment
require a wider range of advocacy skills and knowledge and more
time.
Advocates are likely to need specialist skills when working at
the disempowerment end of the continuum or they may need expert
advice or support, for example, an interpreter, cultural advisor or
welfare guardian.
Advocates need to be flexible in the approaches they use to
ensure consumers receive the type of advocacy support most likely
to increase their ability to self advocate and to become empowered
to make their own choices about the solutions to their issues and
concerns.
A
strengths-based approach
A strengths-based approach is essentially about:
- an approach to people which is dependant upon positive
attitudes about people's dignity, capacities, rights, uniqueness
and commonalties;
- creating a culture of 'power with' to reduce power
imbalance;
- believing that people are capable of change and growth;
- believing that people are their own best experts;
- the problem is the problem; the person is not the problem.
Strengths-based practice gives wings to the empowerment advocacy
way of working.
It's all about:
- validating the complainant's experience;
- acknowledging and addressing structural constraints and social
inequalities;
- assisting the complainant to focus on the solution;
- using the complainants resources, experiences, capacities and
skills and assisting them to apply these to reaching their own
solution to the issues;
- ensuring any additional resources are made available to the
complainant;
- supporting and encouraging the complainant;
- assisting the complainant to explore future possibilities and
ways of being;
- measuring progress against the goals set by the
complainant;
- evaluating the process used and the advocate's contribution to
the solutions achieved;
- ensuring the client has a record of the work carried out.
Defining goals in a strengths-based practice
Assisting a consumer to realise the change he or she wants or
the aspirations he or she has is assisted by setting concrete goals
in a pro-active process aimed at:
- harnessing consumer energy and focus at the beginning of the
work;
- establishing a clear understanding between consumer and
advocate about the purpose of their work together;
- ensuring the work is consumer driven;
- providing a degree of stability, security and clarity when
consumers are finding the process difficult or confusing;
- reinforcing that the client's/consumers views and understanding
of the situation are crucial to the work being undertaken;
- giving a message of competence to consumers that enables them
to move to a solution focus;
- building confidence and belief that change is possible;
- making clear the process of support and reducing consumer
concerns and anxiety about seeking help.
Figure 4 - Advocacy Services within an Empowerment
Continuum
[1] This is an excerpt from a model
developed by St Lukes in Bendigo