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Council on Education
for Public Health (CEPH)
The Editor’s Corner
ADVANCE Your Solution Ideas
What can you do as an individual and as an affiliate of an organization?
We all hopefully believe in something that guides us through life; a moral conviction or ethical stance that propels us in a purposeful direction. In advocacy, we act in support of a cause. There is often an internal prompting that drives us to stand up and take action. An individual’s actions may perpetuate a personal credo or core value. Most organizations develop a mission statement to inspirationally guide their members toward a purpose.
Both the mission statement and core values are a reflection of how the organization or individuals currently define itself/themselves. The mission statement is intended to inform about their performance value(s). This statement is, generally speaking, the result of the present situation of both the entities and their impacting environment (i.e., market, economy, etc.). This valuation or assessment of current position does not necessarily speak to their desired end point. There can exist compelling forces that push both the individual and organizational entity to achieve more‐‐the want for a greater purpose‐‐if you will. This is the objective goal(s) describing the desired direction.
For an organization, it is the vision statement that speaks to the dream; for an individual, it is the personal aspiration(s). This is where we can find purpose and action toward that goal. For advocacy, the action begins with the identification of a position on a specific issue and/or the desired change to an existing set of circumstances. Cultivating a network of like‐minded individuals simply takes talking to people about the issue(s). Begin discussing your concerns with family, friends, colleagues, and community members. Those who are willing to make a commitment to the cause become advocacy partners. It is good to have a broad spectrum of members, from those who are knowledgeable about community politics or the legislative process to those who are skilled in letter writing and organizing.
The mission statement serves as a guideline for the advocacy partners. The public policy agenda is a tool to keep the efforts focused on the vision. There is no secret to a public policy agenda, because it represents a set of priority actions that will take you down the path you wish to go. If your goal is to change an existing policy or create a new one, your priorities may be to educate a larger body of community members and increase dialogue between residents and policy‐makers. In fact, those participating members may be the decision‐makers themselves. There is a place in which every concerned person can participate in advocacy and the overall issue can address policies at all levels, including inter‐organizational as well as local(neighborhood, city, or county), state, and federal government.
Try not to make the work too complex. The idea is simply to highlight unmet needs and empower those impacted, as well as those who can affect change. You are formulating and engaging the human resources of your community. As you convene meetings, remember to encourage input by all, and be willing to revise your plan appropriately from that input. Once your priorities are in place, a plan of action determined, implementation of strategies executed, and some level of results have been achieved, you are on your way to ADVANCING change.
Your elected officials need to hear from you.
It has also become increasingly important for individuals, community and special‐interest groups, and non‐profit organizations to find their voices and weigh in with their legislative representatives concerning issues that are important to them. The executive branches of government range from local and state to federal bodies. On the federal level there is the president of the United States, congress members and senators. The governor, local senators, and Assemblyman lead a commonwealth or state. At the local level the mayor, county board of supervisors, and city council affect policies. The administrative agencies implement legislation, such as the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, and Housing, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to name a few.
As resident constituents within the districts of government officials, we have considerable influence about how we are affected by the delivery of services. Prior to any rule or regulation being enacted as law, a proposed version is usually submitted for public comment. These comments are considered in the editing and revision process prior to final approval. It is in the power of citizens and concerned groups to communicate with the executive bodies and branches. You can ADVANCE your opinions, ideas, solutions, questions, and concerns by calling federal, state capital, and district offices, sending a letter or e‐mail, and even making an appointment to meet with legislative staff or members.
According to the United States Geological Survey Manual, some of the proper ways to address executive‐level officials are as follows:
| Letters to the president: | Letters to your state legislator |
|
The president The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 |
The Honorable (first and last name) Address |
| Dear Mr. President: | Dear Senator/Representative/Assemblyman |
| Letters to the first lady: | Letters to the Vice President: |
|
Mrs. (last name): The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 |
The Vice President The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 |
| Dear Mrs. (last name): | Dear Mr./Mrs. Vice President: |
| Letters to the governor: | Letters to the cavinet members |
| The Honorable (first and last name) | the Honorable (first and last name) |
| Address | Address |
| Dear Governor (last name): | Dear Mr./Mrs. Secretary |
Letters to your mayor:
The Honorable {first and last name}
Address
Dear Mayor {last name}:
Contacting government branches
Local:
County Associations
State:
Representatives
Administrative agencies
Federal:
A list of some possible topics to communicate with your representatives about are:
Federal
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
State
Budget cuts affecting health care To look for other current topics of interest, go to The Library of Congress‐THOMAS website at: