Advocacy - Ask a Pro Live with Bre August 29th 2019

[Bre-RO]

@ecla34  That's a really good point to raise and I'm so happy you did. Working with professionals or agencies that don't work according to what you are rightfully entitled to are really difficult. With this it's hard to say because there are lots of factors that influence these situations but I'd suggest 

• Being open to having to trial out a few mental health professionals before really going deep. It's exhausting but sometimes the person we are trying to work with are not a good fit and it's okay to trust our feelings. 
• If this isn't an option always have support with you, document and get things in writing and find where you can lodge a complaint. 
• Know when it's time to take a breather, step back and reevaluate. 

[Bre-RO]

@ecla34 exactly!

[Claire-RO]

It is so wonderful to hear you share stories where young people have meant that have had access to such important things in their life like housing, and how this has also improved their confidence. 

A lot of young people want to advocate for others but may not feel they have the same lived experience. With that in mind how we can advocate for someone else who is in a very different situation to us?

[Bre-RO]

It was really wonderful to see how many people in this community wanted to know about how they can advocate for others  

I think I 've said this before, but just ensure you're emotionally able to provide that support to someone else. When advocating it's common that the person will be very different from you - thats totally okay. What I suggest to keep in mind is to make sure the person you advocate is at the centre of the process. Ensure they understand what is happening and are an active participant in making decisions. 

Volunteering and taking time out for your community is commendable and when you have the energy to give it’s really good for your mental health. Most local communities have “Neighbourhood” or "Community" centres so that is a good way to start advocating as well. 

[WheresMySquishy]

I think that's a really good point @Bre-RO. Often, we can get too involved in what we think is right for someone, without actually taking the time to ask them what they think is right for themselves. They might have a different opinion, or their way of doing things might be working out for them, even if you feel like it's not something you would personally do.

[ecla34]

What I suggest to keep in mind is to make sure the person you advocate is at the centre of the process. Ensure they understand what is happening and are an active participant in making decisions. 

@Bre-RO that's such a good point!!! It seems like it could be pretty easy to have good intentions, but to end up accidentally talking over someone or making it harder for them to take back that control, is that something you've seen in the work you've done?

In other special discussions that we've had, that mentioned things like social justice, the discussion's often circled around to the importance of self-determination, which sounds like it applies here too. I really agree with you there @WheresMySquishy!   

[Claire-RO]

@Bre-RO it is so true about making sure that you have the capacity to help, and that you keep the person you are advocating at the centre, let them guide you on what they need. It is not about leading, but walking beside them. 

We are pretty close to wrapping up but we before we head off would you mind sharing some of the advocacy links you spoke about?

[Bre-RO]

@ecla34 Absolutely! Everyone comes from different world views, so we all have different ideas and solutions. It can be hard for two people to work together for a common goal but as long as you can recognise what is going on you can take action. 

[Bre-RO]

It's been really nice to spend some time here chatting and getting to know you all better I hope the discussion can continue over the coming days. 

Here is a link to a website called AskIzzy - it's a wonderful site that uses your location to recommend support services near you. There are lots of categories you can search in (Health, Housing, Financial Assistance, counselling etc) and one of them is Advocacy. If you click on that and follow the questions it will tell you what is in your area. 

Here is a link to a comprehensive list of all the disability advocacy groups in Australia. 

Financial advocacy: Debt helpline number is 1800 007 007 

[WheresMySquishy]

Those are some great resources @Bre-RO!

I've really loved learning some new things about advocacy through this discussion.