So Much to Advocate, So Little Time: A Self-Help Starter Pack to Advocating for Yourself and Others
To advocate is to speak up, whether you are speaking on behalf of yourself, another person, or a group of people. As stated in the NASW Code of Ethics (1999), “The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective”:
service
social justice
dignity and worth of the person
importance of human relationships
integrity
competence.
As a Social Worker, we advocate to support our identified core values and to empower others to do the same. So, who can advocate? The answer is anyone, starting with you. To advocate for oneself is to take a stance, represent your views, beliefs, or interests and to articulate your needs.
Self advocacy skills begin in early childhood development as we teach our children to use their words when they want or need something. Learning to speak up builds the necessary skills needed to become self-motivated, develop positive self esteem, and develop self determination skills. Self advocacy inherently supports and communicates a person’s wants and needs. As simple as advocating your needs may sound, it can be difficult or intimidating to speak up and let your voice be heard. As a result, we may deter to advocate for ourselves because we may be lacking the confidence to do so, or feel we do not have a place at the table to voice ourselves. YOU DO have space at the table, and your confidence can bolster with practice in communicating your needs. So, here are five basic steps to help guide you to be a positive self advocate:
1. Believe in yourself. Start by focusing on your level of self awareness. What are your values, goals, and beliefs? What makes you passionate about them? How do you identify yourself with your values, goals, and beliefs? In developing a level of self awareness you are inadvertently empowering yourself and building up on your confidence. Advocating for yourself can be a scary thing; however, when we believe in ourselves and our passions, we can break through the intimidation barrier.
2. Know your rights and know the facts. When you are advocating for yourself you should know what it is you are talking about. Educate yourself on the subject matter. Find groups, community organizations, and coalitions who also believe in and value the things you are passionate about to create a sense of community.
3. Use your Wise Mind. There is no question that emotions play a part in advocacy. When one advocates, they do it from the heart because they feel it is necessary to fight for what they believe in. However, we cannot rush into meetings, rallies, and events driven by pure emotion. When advocating you should do so from the “Wise Mind” perspective. Founded by Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s, Wise Mind is a tool used in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to explain the balance found between the reasonable mind and the emotional mind. Express yourself clearly and be assertive about what you are advocating for or about.
4. Make a plan and target your efforts. At this stage, you should be well versed on your rights and the issue at hand. Now, focus on how you are going to address the issue. Know your strategy. Network with others who have similar beliefs and build off of one another. There is strength in numbers. Work together to strengthen your stance and use your collective sense of empowerment to stand up for the rights you and others are entitled to under the law.
5. Be firm and consistent. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” Don’t give up! If you’re feeling defeated take a step back and remember why you started. Advocating is not an easy task at times and you may not be heard the first, second, or even third time. This does not mean your voice, your opinion, or your values do not matter. Be consistent in your message and continue to persist through feelings of defeat. You DO matter!