Human Services Advocacy Interventions

In addition to working directly with clients, human service professionals also work with a variety of systems (political, economic, educational, legal), organizations, and key stakeholders. For this weeks discussion, you will examine cultural competence and how it is beneficial when advocating for children and their families. You will also explore agency operations and the role stakeholders play in the advocacy process.

Please respond to the following:

1.  Define what cultural competence is, and describe how it is beneficial when advocating for children and their families.
2.  Identify an issue that impacts children and their families. Discuss how this issue may be related to the operations of an agency and analyze how a human service professional may advocate for something within the agency to be changed in order to benefit children and their family members.
3.  Discuss why it is important to engage key stakeholders in the advocacy process.
4.  Examine three generalist skills that you believe are essential when advocating for children and their families. Explain why you selected the skills identified.

Please read the following chapter from the text (ATTACHED):

Chapter 3: Human Services Advocacy Interventions
Library Reading

Canavan, J., Pinkerton, J., Pinkerton, J., & Dolan, P. (2016). Understanding family support: Policy, practice and theory. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Chapter 4: Direct Work With Children, Parents and Communities
Web Resources

Standpoint. (n.d.). Attorneys & advocates against domestic & sexual violence. http://www.standpointmn.org/

SafeHouse Center. (2020). Legal advocacy services. https://www.safehousecenter.org/find-help-support/legal-advocacy-services/