Topic Tuesday // Tools for Advocacy // Tues 19th October, 7:00-8:30PM AEST

[Daisydreamer]

Question 5. What are some top tips for systemic advocacy?

Top tips for systemic advocacy: 

1. Connect and network: To represent the needs of others, you will need to be connected to others. One way to connect is to get in contact with peak bodies, representative services or lived experience networks. Here are a few:
   
   
2. Get involved in existing representative opportunities or start your own: There are lots of ways to get involved and advocate systemically. You can join consultations, join a committee, or start your own initiative.
   
   
3. Know the current policies that impact mental health services: Reading policy documents is not everyone’s cup of tea, but they will be your best friend! They contain really important information to help you strengthen your advocacy by backing it up with commitments and direction governments and peak bodies are taking. For example, the Victorian Royal Commission into Mental Health Services produced a list of recommendations for action, and these can be referenced for future initiatives. The Fifth National Mental Health Plan, and local/state based Strategic Plans all contain actions and recommendations committed to by governments. Policy and Strategy can be evidence to support your advocacy

[BPDSurvivor]

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@Shaz51 wrote:

Ohh I love that @Daisydreamer , @BPDSurvivor 

By doing with instead of doing for xx 

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Makes a big difference Mum @Shaz51 .

Sometimes carers 'overhelp' which can actually be detrimental. 

[Daisydreamer]

Question 5. What are some top tips for systemic advocacy?

4. Brush up on committee skills and etiquette: This one was a learning curve for me, and this resource about meetings was really helpful when I first started

5. Be purposeful when sharing your story: Purposeful storytelling is a powerful tool of advocacy. It’s about picking parts of our story to share with an intention or purpose in mind.

6. Look after your wellbeing: For many of us, there are big feelings attached to our story and the reasons that led us to advocacy. At times, advocacy can bring up hurt and trauma we have experienced before, or leave you feeling exhausted. Make sure to take care of your wellbeing first and have a strong support network around you. I have taken breaks from advocacy for my wellbeing before, and it helped to sustain mental health.

We also need to be mindful that many others we meet in the systemic advocacy space have lived experience, and sharing our story in safe ways can protect us all from re-traumatisation.

Advocacy is most effective when it inspires hope for change

There are courses available to help you build your advocacy skills, but most of all, other advocates in the space can be incredible mentors and teachers.

I regularly seek the support of experienced advocates to help me grow my skills, and are grateful for their insights, learnings and tips. We are all always learning, and peers can be some of the best people we can grow with.

[Former-Member]

@Shaz51 Often the next step is engaging in a really honest discussion with the person we support. It can be really easy to get carried away because we are so passionate and want what is best for those we love. But sometimes we need to take a step back and empower them to share their goals and what is important to them. We might find out something new.

It's been amazing for me how many new goals I have been able to come up with as a disabled mentally ill person just by having someone approach me with curiosity and an open mind. I'm actually going to start going to drag shows with a support worker...and I would never have been able to come up with that as a goal without having some really open discussions that weren't so much focused on fixing my problems but actually what I value. 

It seems kindof counter intuitive though because so often we want to go in guns blazing to focus on solutions to make our loved ones lives better. But slowing the process down some is so helpfull,at least in my experience.

[Daisydreamer]

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@BPDSurvivor wrote:

Another thing @Daisydreamer , sounds like individual advocacy requires setting boundaries so each knows their role.

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Sure does @BPDSurvivor 🙂 Boundaries are a big part!

[BPDSurvivor]

Yeah @Daisydreamer ,

Systematic advocacy sounds like such a BIG job!

My closest example was advocating to make changes to school policies for students with disability. Staff were simply ignorant of regulations and laws surrounding provisions for those with disability.

This involved combing through various Acts and policies with a fine-tooth comb. It took a long time, but was worth it.

[Anastasia]

Hello @BPDSurvivor 

Yes and no...

Now my boys recovery coach/support coordinator is from an organisation that has lived experience workers. She's incredible and I can feel in my bones the good that she's doing for him. 

I'm really hoping for the funding needed to fully support his goals over the next 12 months

[Zoe7]

I have found considerable barriers representing my own lived experience within organisations/committees because of time and location. An example of this is one organisation I have been a member of for sometime continues to hold meetings during the day with little or no lived experienced people attending. They want to include those with LE and have had many meetings on how to get those with LE more involved yet people like myself that also work cannot attend during the day. Those attending hold roles in those organisations 'advocating' for those with LE but there is no direct involvement from those WITH LE. It is frustrating that this continues and requests to change meeting times is not considered - makes me very fruatrated that some are not actually listened to and their agendas are the ones continually pushed.

[BPDSurvivor]

Sounds great @Former-Member 

[Former-Member]

I feel like @Daisydreamer 's points around purposeful story telling and self-care go hand in hand. When I first started sharing my story I would often feel a 'yucky' feeling in my stomach because I said too much or I wasn't happy with how I expressed myself. It became an important part of my self-care to actually think really hard about what I would share and when. This helps keep myself safe but also others.

This also ties into @Daisydreamer 's point about knowing the ways of operating. If you go into a board room and start sharing every detail of your life they may not react well but if you are very delberate and stick to their rules,they actually will be really engaged.