INTRODUCTION TO
SELF-ADVOCACY

Enclosed is a description of what self-advocacy is and some forms to help you prepare to advocate on your own behalf. These forms were originally developed by staff members on the Peer and Self-Advocacy Program of the California Network of Mental Health Clients as part of a contract with Protection and Advocacy Inc. They have been revised over time in response to suggestion by the people who have used them. They are designed for use by a wide variety of persons with a variety of problems and situations. Please feel free to modify them to best fit your personal use.

At first it may seem awkward and time consuming to fill out these forms. However, we have found that people have more success when they take the time to put down on paper their particular problem and then develop a plan for resolving it.

Good luck as you begin to advocate for yourself and regain control of your situation. If you need assistance in completing these forms or in performing self-advocacy, please contact me at (916) 488-9950, or 1-800-776-5746 (toll free).

If you have suggestions for changes or additions to these forms, please let us know. We need to ensure that these forms are suitable for the persons who use them.

Lori Shepherd

Peer/Self-Advocacy Coordinator

Protection & Advocacy, Inc.

February 1998, Revised February 2008

DESCRIPTION OF SELF-ADVOCACY

The purpose of self-advocacy is for you to decide what it is you want, develop a plan, carry out that plan and evaluate how you did. This includes learning new skills and asking people to help you.

Self-advocacy is different from traditional advocacy services. In a traditional advocacy program, you give your complaint to an advocate, who does whatever is necessary to solve your problem for you. He/she reports back to you about how the problems have been resolved. The self advocate's role is to help you learn the strategies and skills necessary to resolve your problem. Some of these strategies and skills are: "Who do you approach first? How do you negotiate?

The self advocate may teach you listening, negotiation, problem solving, or assertiveness skills. A major goal of self-advocacy is to empower you to speak for yourself and participate in decisions affecting your life.

There are four basic steps to self-advocacy: Define the problem, develop an action plan, carry out the action plan, and evaluate how you did.

Define the Problem

The first step is to define your issues and/or complaints. You need to be clear what the problems are and how you would like to resolve them. You need to know the laws regarding your issues.

Write down what the problems are and your desired solutions. Choose one or two issues that you would like to work on. Make a list of the possible solutions to your problems. Discuss the pros and cons of each solution. Choose the solution you feel most comfortable with.

Develop an Action Plan

After you have defined the issues and selected a solution for resolving these issues, you need to develop an action plan. You now have a good idea of what the problem is, what you want to do about it, and how you want to accomplish it.

The action plan is a guide to the steps you will take to advocate for yourself. Your action plan will identify what you're going to do, how you are going to do it, the date you want to do it by, and the people who can help you. An important part of your plan should include a backup plan in case you need to change your strategy to get what you want. Decide what issues you are willing to give in on, and the minimum you are willing to accept.

Carrying Out the Action Plan

The third step is carrying out the steps in your action plan. These steps may include gathering documentation and support for your solution. It may be helpful to keep a log of your activities. In this phase you may want to seek out support from your peers, family members, friends, staff members, and others who are supportive of what you want. You may need to demonstrate that your plan is workable and supported by others.

Negotiate

Be prepared to negotiate with people who may have power over you. Examples of these people are: staff members, your case manager, your conservator, and/or your doctor. You may want to role-play or rehearse what you are going to say. You may want to talk to other people about effective ways to approach people in charge.

This may involve meeting with key staff persons, asking for help from an advocate, making phone calls and/or writing letters. Your actions should be focused and include a clear statement of the problem and ideas about how to solve the problem.

Timing

Timing is important when presenting your issue. Is it better to approach the person in the morning or afternoon? Is it better to approach him/her when he/she is alone? Would he/she respond better if you write him/her a letter? Never approach a situation when you are angry. You may want someone you trust to go with you for support. They can act as a witness to what is said during the meeting and help you remain calm and stick to the facts. Do not become argumentative or overly emotional. If you find you are becoming upset, leave the conversation and approach the situation at a later time. It is o.k. to let him/her know how you feel, but never use personal attacks or obscenities in your discussion. Stick to the issues. If he/she changes the topic, bring it back to the issue(s) you want to discuss. At the end of the meeting, thank him/her for his/her time. Ask when you can expect to hear from him/her about your issue.

Document

You need to make sure that you document all of your efforts. If you need help later with your issue, it will help the person assisting you to figure out what your issue is, who is involved and what you have done to try and resolve your issue.

Write down your questions before making a phone call about your issue. Be sure to have a paper and pencil handy before making the call. Write down the date, time, agency, and the person you talk to. Write down what he/she says. Send a letter confirming any agreements made. Also, be certain to set a timeline for achieving all agreements.

Keep all letters you receive and those you send.

Get and keep copies of any forms you sign. Get and keep copies of records such as treatment plans and medical records. You have a right to have copies of these.

Evaluate How You Did

The last step is the evaluation phase. Once you have gone through the steps of your action plan, you need to evaluate what happened. Review what you did; how you did it; and if you got what you wanted.

If you didn't get what you wanted, what steps do you need to take to be successful in getting what you want? If the solution you originally selected did not work out, you will want to look at accomplishing it another way, or selecting a new solution and developing a different action plan.

Don’t Give Up

It is important not to give up if your first attempt to change something doesn't work out. You may have to stop your plan and try other strategies to get what you want. The important thing to remember is to keep trying until you are satisfied.

DOCUMENTATION

The key to getting your problems solved to your satisfaction is to document what happened. It is easy to use the Who, What, Where, When, Why method when writing down information about your situation.

You can get what you want if you understand the system and can identify supportive people to help you. You can be successful at getting what you want if you understand what your rights are, ask for what you want, and keep a record of what you are told.

There are laws and regulations to protect your rights and agencies which are required to assist you in protecting them. Before you can begin to protect your rights, you need to know what they are, and who can help you protect them. Each county is required by law to have a patients' rights advocate to investigate complaints.

KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR SITUATION

Keep all letters you receive and a copy of the letters you send.

When you sign forms you have a right to a copy. This will establish a record of what you have agreed to.

You have the right to participate in your treatment plan and you have a right to a copy of your treatment plan. You should know your treatment plan well and you should be telling the staff what you want, and writing a note to record what you want, and who you told.

HOW TO KEEP A RECORD: AN EXAMPLE

Write Down:

· Who: Who you contacted -- name, phone number, address and title.

· When: Date and time of contact.

· What you want: What you want in a word or two -- vocational training, change of medication, treatment complaint, etc.

· What they said: What you were told.

Example of a note:

· Who: Dr. Jones

· When: 4-1-96; 9 a.m.

· What you want: Change of meds - told the Dr. I was shaking from the meds.

· What they said: He said he would evaluate me before the end of the day.

· Who: Mrs. Mary Smith, evaluator at Social Security Office.

· When: 4-1-96; 3:30 p.m.

· What you want: SSI check not received.

· What they said: Computer foul up. I was incorrectly cut off from my SSI check. I should receive my check in 10-15 working days.

If you don't get what they said you would get, then you will have to contact another person and make another note. If you still don't get satisfaction you can file a complaint with the patients' rights advocate.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SITUATION

By keeping a record and writing letters you will be able to use your legal power to get what you want.

You have the right participate in your treatment. You can get what you want within available options, but it all depends on you. You have to document your case and keep a record.

If you are still unable to get what you want, your documentation will be important when you go to get advocacy services. Documentation will help the advocate figure out what the facts are, who is involved, and when you were told that something would happen. If your information is complete and written down, an advocate will be better able to assist you to get what you want.

BLANK FORM TO USE

WHO: ___________________________________________________________________

WHEN: _________________________________________________________________

WHAT: _________________________________________________________________

WHAT YOU WERE TOLD: _________________________________________________

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