Advocacy is an expectation in health delivery services including occupational therapy (OT) services. Advocacy in health care has been related to assisting vulnerable individuals in protecting them from social exclusion and accessing opportunities. Employment is one of the most valued roles among individuals diagnosed with depression (IDDs), yet unemployment rates are high. The disparity between unemployment rates and desire for IDDs to be employed makes it imperative to investigate advocacy in ameliorating the barriers to employment. Furthermore, advocacy practices need to be clearly defined as lack of clarity in advocacy roles and processes contribute to challenges with implementing advocacy. This qualitative study explores the perceptions of the advocate role and the advocacy process among IDDs and OTs regarding employment related goals. IDDs were interviewed individually and OTs participated in a focus group to explore their perceptions of the advocate role and how the advocacy process is carried out. The recovery model and Canadian Model of Occupational Performance Model & Engagement (CMOP-E) were used as practice models to inform the topic choice. Study results indicate significant differences in expectations of the advocate role and how the advocacy process is carried out. However, there were some similarities in perception, such as the relationship established the foundation of the advocacy process, the advocate role addresses both health and employment issues, and advocacy processes yields outcomes. IDDs and OTs agreed that the advocacy process facilitated change by considering the dynamic interaction between the person, the occupations the IDDs wished to engage in, and the individual’s environments, which is consistent with core elements of the CMOP-E. OTs’ perception of the advocate role was consistent with the core elements of the recovery model of enhancing individual autonomy, facilitating client empowerment, and increasing client responsibility. On the other hand, IDDs felt that the advocacy process was having the advocate speak to others on their behalf, which is not consistent with the core elements of the recovery model. A number of complex issues contributed to why IDDs relied significantly on their advocates, such as 1) mental health stigma 2) previous negative experiences, 3) poor self-esteem and 4) fears related to disclosure of their depression. This study contributes to the existing body of literature as this study describes the advocacy process and advocate role as perceived by IDDs and OTs. The study is unique in design that it is one of the only studies that explores the concept of advocacy from two different perspectives (health providers and health users). Future research is indicated to establish a consistent definition of advocacy and establish a framework for carrying out the advocacy process. A consistent definition and advocacy framework would provide OTs a frame of reference in implementing the advocacy process. Furthermore, advocacy processes at all levels should be integrated into OT scope of practices to further enhance the practice of advocacy.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1993. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-153).

The study is an autoethnography with focus on the social phenomenon of rape against women. The author explores the topic of rape through the incorporation of contemporary feminist thought, current philosophy on male development, and a review of relevant literature on rape. The author's own experiences with the topic of rape against women coupled with the author's identity as a male researcher vividly depict various social issues facing woman in today's political society. The need to identify ways to increase feminine sense of agency and to encourage the proper socialization of men into manhood serve as the primary factors toward the advancement of rape prevention, rape intervention, and educational programming initiatives in the college environment.

Background: People with intellectual disability are generally not consulted in the development of public policies which impact on their lives. This study focuses on the development of a conceptual framework to support self-advocacy by people with intellectual disability for the inclusion of their priorities in social and health-related policy in South Africa. The study was informed by empowerment theory, with the integration of the concept of Ubuntu. Method: The study design was qualitative and was underpinned by the hermeneutic phenomenological approach. This approach allowed the researcher to understand lived experiences of the research participants in order to gain deeper insights regarding core elements of a conceptual framework for self-advocacy through interpreting their views on how they understand those experiences. Data were collected through a scoping review, semi structured interviews and focus groups. Twenty-five participants were sampled for this study; 10 participants were policy makers and service managers, five were self-advocates with intellectual disability, five supporters of people with intellectual disability and five parents/carers of people with intellectual disability. Sampling in this study was purposeful, policy makers, service providers, supporters and parents were purposefully sampled to participate in the study. Snowballing was used to identify participants with intellectual disability involved in advocacy groups in local Non-Profit Organisations. Data were analysed thematically, using ATLAS.ti. software. The framework approached guided the data analysis process. All data sources were triangulated to develop the conceptual framework for self-advocacy by people with intellectual disability. The development approaches used for three similar frameworks were considered in deriving a process to develop this study's conceptual framework. The first framework that focused on strengthening the participation of people with psychosocial disability and their caregiver's involvement in the National Institute for Mental Health England. The second framework was a self-advocacy framework by Test and colleagues, and the third was Cook's multi-cultural and social justice counselling competencies framework. Results: Data triangulation identified three core elements for self-advocacy, a) personal development, the main contention of this element being that in order for people with intellectual disability to self-advocate, self-development is essential to their participation in self-advocacy in policy processes; b) creating a supportive environment through the empowerment of people with intellectual disability – in order for people with intellectual disability to fully participate in self-advocacy they require empowerment through two main sub-elements: self-advocacy skills development and supported self-advocacy; and c) improved policy participation opportunities, this element focusing on the importance of concerted effort to ensure that there are policy participation opportunities which will permit inclusive participation of people with intellectual disability. Conclusion: A wholistic approach is needed to increase policy makers understanding of how best to empower people with intellectual disability to provide input to public policy decisions which can improve their quality of life

Leaders in the counseling field are encouraging practitioners to develop a social justice perspective to counseling to ensure fair and equitable treatment of clients and stress the importance of advocating on behalf of these individuals (Lee, 2007; Lee & Waltz, 1998; Lewis, Arnold, House, & Toporek, 2003; Lewis & Bradley, 2000). The counseling profession, because it is a relatively young field struggling with its own identity (Chi Sigma Iota, 2005; Eriksen, 1999; Gale & Austin, 2003; Myers & Sweeney, 2004) could also benefit from advocacy. A two-pronged approach of professional advocacy, which is the process of advocating for both clients and the profession is the most effective and comprehensive method. The results of this study were intended to bring greater insight into professional counselors' willingness and ability to advocate on behalf of the profession by identifying their perceptions of activities, knowledge, skills, qualities, importance, need, barriers and support for professional advocacy, and by exploring the relationship between counseling professionals' attitudes toward professional counselor advocacy and their perceived level of conducting professional advocacy activities. Results indicated that professional counselors believe that they participate in professional advocacy activities and that they have the knowledge, skills, and qualities to conduct those professional advocacy activities. They report gaining most knowledge of professional advocacy from publications, then from modeling, then conferences and workshops, then from their master's or doctoral program, and last from websites. They endorsed the importance and need to conduct professional advocacy most due to needing to improve the public and professional image of counselors. Participants indicated the top three barriers to advocating are: not enough time, roadblocks caused by other professionals, and insufficient knowledge of professional advocacy strategies; however generally find support to advocate in colleagues, counselor xi educators, supervisors and professional associations. Knowledge, skill, qualities, importance/need, barriers and support produced positive relationships when correlated to professional advocacy activities meaning that they will be more involved in professional counselor advocacy activities if they endorse these ideas. Additionally, several barriers produced significant, negative relationships with advocacy activities indicating that if they perceive barriers, they are less likely to be involved in those advocacy activities.

This article aims to contribute to the long-standing discussion about nonprofit organizations' (NPOs) dependence on public funding and its consequences on their advocacy role in modern societies. Drawing on resource dependence theory and data from a quantitative survey, the study investigates the impact of public funding and its extent on nonprofit engagement in advocacy. Traditionally, scholars have cautioned that NPOs reliant on public sources will hesitate to pursue political objectives and to engage in advocacy work. Yet, empirical findings are strikingly inconsistent. One of the reasons for these ambiguous findings may be the way advocacy is measured. To address this issue, we apply two different approaches to evaluate NPO engagement. Both sets of findings from our multivariate analyses of Austrian NPOs suggest that public funding does not have a negative impact on advocacy.

M.A. University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities (Heritage), 2012 / This study is based on the Parktown Westcliff Heritage Trust (PWHT). The study focuses on the preservation, conservation and advocacy activities of the Trust in heritage management. It analyses how the Trust has managed to survive for over 40years and how it has adapted to the changes in legislation over time. Of particular salience, the study focuses on 3 historical moments in which the PWHT intervened to save buildings and landscapes from destruction. These moments span from 1965 to the present and they include the destruction of the Parktown Ridge from 1965 onwards, inner city-Newtown 1980 and the Beyers Naude Square in 2004. The moments selected for analysis, explore how the PWHT has managed to survive through two distinct political systems namely, apartheid and democracy. The analysis presented in this report draws attention to the application and interpretation of legislation and policy at both local and national levels in heritage management.

Thesis advisor: David Hollenbach / Thesis advisor: Meg Guider / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

In 1977, a Seattle judge, exasperated at having to make life-altering decisions for children with little information, founded the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. In 2010, 75,000 people in 49 states volunteered their time to advocate for a child or sibling set in foster care. This project is aimed at understanding the issues of voice and advocacy imbedded within the organization Advocates For Kids and within the foster care system at large through critical ethnography. Further, this dissertation aspires to illuminate the complex ethics at play in the foster care system. This dissertation seeks to reveal the complicated ways in which the law is enacted by individuals such as foster parents, judges, and lawyers. Specifically, the dissertation provides an in-depth examination of the role of the Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASAs are volunteers trained by the nonprofit organization, Advocates For Kids, who advocate on behalf of children in foster care. I collected data via interviews, observation, document examination, and reflexivity to present a crystallized account of the issues of voice and advocacy in the work of Advocates For Kids. Based on the data, I expound three categories of voice at play in the work of VFC: Imagined Voice, Monitored Voice, and Stifled Voice. I also argue that volunteers intentionally perform privilege in order to ethically advocate for the children with whom they work. The dissertation concludes with a performative script based on the project designed to represent the complexity of the foster care system.

This qualitative, quasi-phenomenological study presents strategies and methods hospital-based mental health social workers utilize to promote social justice and advocate for their clients. Three frontline mental health social workers and one mental health department head were interviewed. The findings of this research demonstrated that the participating social workers utilized a variety of creative and flexible approaches to promote social justice and successfully advocate for their clients. These approaches included: the use of appropriate language, using the system against itself, developing written standards and regulations for their tasks, and forming a network of allies.