Child Advocacy

1

• Child Advocacy
• How to Effectively Advocate for a
• Child with a Mental Health Disorder

2
Parents and Professionals Working Together

• Two important partnerships when it comes to
  raising a child with a disability
• Partnership of parents
• Stress is an everyday factor
• Worry is an everyday factor
• No how to manual with these kids
• Flexibility and communication are the keys to
  making it through many a challenging day
• Remember to give yourself a pat on the back

3
Parents and Professionals Working Together

• Partnership with professionals
• Keeping lines of communication open even in times
  of disagreements
• Remember the staff have rules they have to follow
• Share information with them that will help them
  do their job

4
Advocacy

• What does it mean?
• Identifying problems
• Developing strategies
• Arriving at solutions
• Ensure appropriate programming is developed for
  your child
• Protecting your rights and your childs rights in
  the process

5
Advocacy

• When does it happen?
• Every time you ask for something to be provided
  for your child based on his/her needs
• Every time you attend a meeting to speak on
  behalf of your child
• Every time you encourage your child to do his
  best
• Every time you recognize your childs strengths
  and needs

6
Strategies for Working With Providers

• Share your thoughts and information
• If you like something they are doing, tell them
• If you dont like something they are doing, offer
  solutions or suggestions on a different way of
  doing it that would be more helpful for your
  child
• When you dont understand, ask questions
• Dont assume, ask for clarification

7
Helpful Hints to Effective Advocacy

• Gather as much information as you can that
  describes your childs disability
• Learn about your rights and use them to protect
  your ability to make decisions
• Prepare for any and all meetings
• Keep a written record of everything
• Ask questions when you dont understand something
  and keep asking until you do understand

8
Helpful Hints to Effective Advocacy

• Assist the team in not only identifying problems,
  but also solutions
• Be respectful of members of the team. It is
  possible to disagree and be respectful
• Work to develop a positive relationship with
  those working with your child
• Value yourself as a team member, you have much to
  offer the process

9
Helpful Hints to Effective Advocacy

• Know what you want
• Anticipate problems, be proactive in your
  planning
• Develop good communication skills
• Always get a copy of anything you sign
• If you think there will be problems at a meeting,
  take someone with you. Dont go alone

10
Helpful Hints for Effective Advocacy

• You are a member of the team.
• Talk with other parents who are going through the
  same thing or have already been through it
• Know your childs strengths and insist the team
  use them
• Keep records on phone conversations, meetings,
  etc.
• Ask your child what he wants or what he things
  will help him

11
Tips on Good Communication

• Keep in touch with team members on a regular
  basis. Frequent contact means no surprises
• Express your feelings respectfully. Anger turns
  off the listener.
• Talk out differences
• Restate your concerns if they were not heard
  correctly the first time

12
Tips on Good Communication

• Communicate in a honest, direct manner
• Restate what you thought you heard the other
  person say
• Expect that sometimes you will disagree. Keep
  talking
• Comments and questions should be directed at the
  person best able to answer it or correct the
  situation
• Remember you are your childs best advocate

13
Organize Your Records

• Keep a copy of your childs school plan in an
  easy to locate place
• Keep a current copy of any evaluations with the
  school plan
• Keep specific information on your childs
  disability for new professionals working with
  your child
• Keep samples of your childs work

14
Keys to Effective Teams

• Focus on how you say things your body language,
  your tone of voice
• Focus on the source of the disagreement not the
  person
• Recognize that it may be the system you are upset
  at and not that particular person
• Remember we all have bad days
• Remember we all get frustrated with the system

15
What to do if a Problem Arises

• Dont let it simmer!
• Use some one as a sounding board before talking
  with the person you are having the disagreement
  with
• Use the informal problem solving approach at the
  first sign of a problem to prevent it from
  escalating.
• Know your rights with respect to appeals, or
  other formalized methods of dealing with
  disagreements should the informal method fail

16
Helping Your Child Become a Self Advocate

• Its never too early to teach your child to
  advocate for his/her needs
• Help your child learn about his/her disability
• Help your child to set goals
• Assist your child to learn how to deal with
  disagreements
• Teach your child to ask for help and to accept
  help

17
Helping Your Child Become a Self Advocate

• Teach your child the value of team work
• Help your child to identify their strengths and
  needs and to be able to express them
• Explain the plan to your child. Dont assume they
  know the role that others play in their lives to
  help them

18
Resources

• www.zerotothree.org
• www.aap.org American Academy of Pediatrics
• www.macmh.org MN Association for Childrens
  Mental Health
• www.cmh.umn.edu Center of Excellence for
  Childrens Mental Health
• www.brightfutures.org