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Advocacy

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Access, Empowerment, Experience: Driving Voice Behind Change

This issue of Positive Approaches focuses on the importance of advocacy for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and serious mental illness. Article topics include barriers to self-advocacy; the complicated language of autism advocacy; and the history, evolution, and importance of advocacy at state mental hospitals. Also presented is an article on two mothers’ experiences advocating for family members throughout their lifespan.

This issue of the Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading. To print a copy of the PDF, online journal, or a specific article, find these options within the left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. A new window will open with the selected document. In the browser, you may click the print button in the top left corner of the page or use the print capability within your browser.

Please submit feedback regarding your experience with the Positive Approaches Journal on MyODP by selecting the feedback image on MyODP within your left navigation bar on any Positive Approaches Journal page. The Positive Approaches Journal is published quarterly. For additional information, please contact ODP Training.

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The Moral Matters podcast recently discussed “Lobbying for Good” with Richard Edley, PhD, who is a psychologist and current President/CEO of RCPA, an advocacy and lobbying organization in Pennsylvania that supports community health and human services organizations. He shares his journey to this career, and why we should all learn more about how lobbyists — and even political action committees — might be acting on our behalf. Listen to the podcast here.

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The sustained funding of community-based mental health services, such as community residential programs, family-based support, outpatient care, and crisis intervention, are critical to the wellbeing of our constituents and our communities. Funding levels for county mental health services have direct impacts on whether these important community and family supports will be available. Yet for too many years, state funding for mental health services has lagged far behind its needs. Counties find themselves advocating for the prevention of funds being cut instead of achieving the increases that are needed to catch up from years of underfunding.

This year, RCPA and other system stakeholders once again teamed with the County Commissioner Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) through the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition. The mission and vision of this campaign continues to promote awareness of the critical funding needs of mental health services for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. As RCPA and the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition continue our efforts, we ask our members, stakeholders, and partners to join us in this collaborative effort by engaging with your legislators. “County mental health services provide a critical piece to the public safety net for people in need,” notes Richard S. Edley, PhD, President and CEO of RCPA. “The system sustained cuts over a decade ago with little relief since then. It is time to restore those dollars and further enhance the system. Not only will it provide critical funding for the individuals receiving services, but there are positive benefits — both financially and clinically — to the entire community.”

The Coalition welcomes the many new partners for this 2023–24 initiative, as the time to act is now for engaging with your representative. Local communities and providers have come together to sustain the safety net and serve those who need it most. The reality is that the demand for service far outweighs capacity and rate structures to serve this population.

View our first of many communications that will go out on behalf of the Coalition as an open call to the PA General Assembly and stakeholders. This will provide you with strategic talking points for our outreach. If you have additional questions or would like to join the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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In early March 2022, the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) embarked on its first ever national advocacy event, the 2022 Advocacy Symposium, Amplifying The Voices Of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). Attendees participated in over 250 meetings with legislative staff to share the perspective of direct support professionals to the forefront of Congress during a time of unprecedented workforce challenges. The result of our attendees’ advocacy culminated in additional sponsors to the House of Representatives and US Senate bills regarding establishing a Standard Occupation Classification within the Bureau of Statistics for direct support professionals (S. 1437 / H.R. 4779).

NADSP is excited to announce the return of the Advocacy Symposium on May 3 – 4, 2023! Ahead of this two-day virtual event, attendees will receive comprehensive advocacy training along with planning sessions with state leaders. The success of our first Advocacy Symposium is directly a result of and informed by the people who are on the frontlines of supporting people with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in the community.

We’re looking forward to amplifying even more direct support professional voices in 2023. This event is free and open to direct support professionals, frontline supervisors, self-advocates, family members, and people with disabilities. Registration for this event will open on February 28.

NADSP’s Current 2023 Policy Priorities:

  • Establish a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) for direct support professionals within the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
  • Assure effective implementation of workforce development initiatives authorized through legislation that leads to wages commensurate with the level of responsibility and the complexity of this work, as well as career ladder opportunities that lead to professional growth.

Learn More

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Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

RCPA’s Behavioral Health Division committees and work groups are the foundation of our legislative and advocacy efforts on behalf of members. Member involvement in these groups provides unique perspectives on operational and service-level experiences that shape our positions and strategies.

There are larger bi-monthly Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Adult and Children’s Mental Health Division meetings that include stakeholder updates and discussions. DDAP, OMHSAS, OCYF, and guest speakers from across the continuum of human services typically participate in these meetings. Additionally, we have several active specific work groups that include:

SUD Committees Adult MH Committee
Opioid Treatment Programs Adult Mental Health Steering Committee
Centers of Excellence 988/Crisis Services
SUD Regulatory Reform ACT Program
SUD Legislative Regulatory Reform
Children’s MH Committees Combined SUD/MH Committees
Children’s Steering Committee Telehealth
IBHS Work Group Criminal Justice
Children’s Residential Services Value-Based Purchasing
School-Based Behavioral Health ICWC/CCBHC
Early Intervention Workforce
Family-Based Services Ad Hoc Group

Several of the groups are open only to provider members, while others include any interested member. Participation in the groups is open to individuals that you feel best fit the needs of your organization. If you would like to participate in any of the committees or work groups, please contact your Behavioral Health Division Directors Jim Sharp or Jason Snyder. We look forward to collaborating with you in the future.

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When it comes to something as serious as concussion — an injury that is estimated to occur every 15 seconds in the United States — the faster you receive a diagnosis, the faster you can get back to the things you love. And yet, over half of people who suspect they have a concussion never get it checked.

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is proud to be the cofounder of Concussion Awareness Now, a coalition of organizations dedicated to changing how society views concussion. It’s not tough to tough it out. And if you hit your head, you should get it checked.

The Concussion Awareness Now coalition includes nearly 20 partners, including organizations that determine guidelines for concussion care, advocate for patients, and work with communities who are vulnerable to concussions. Together, we have decades of experience in the brain injury community and the resources to create a rallying cry for awareness and, ultimately, action. Our goal is to help reshape how society views concussion so that people get the care they need.

Learn more at Concussion Awareness Now and follow the coalition on Facebook and Instagram.

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ACL invites you to a webinar in their series on strengthening advocacy in the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rule, “Getting the Services You Need From the Waiver,” on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm EST. Register for the webinar here.

The HCBS Settings Rule can improve community-based services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults for decades to come. This webinar will provide insight into one of the main strategies stakeholders can use to get the promise of the rule into everyday life: influencing the services that are included in the waiver application.

The webinar will highlight why you should pay attention to the waiver application and what is in an application, with a focus on Appendix C – Services. It will also look at what states have to put into the application and highlight best practices for commenting on your state’s waiver application.

Live captioning will be provided. A video replay and transcript will be made available following the event on ACL’s HCBS Settings Rule web page.

Speakers:

  • Jill Jacobs, Commissioner, Administration on Disabilities, ACL
  • Nancy Thaler, Senior Advisor, ACL
  • Laura Miller, Managing Attorney, Equip for Equality

Contact Erin Shea with any questions.

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