ADVOCACY
Advocacy is at the Heart of Peer Support
Advocacy is a core competency for Peer Support Specialists. We advocate for ourselves, our service participants, and communities, including the peer workforce. For more than 80 years, Cal Voices has been at the forefront of advocating for improved public behavioral health services in Sacramento County and Statewide! In addition we have been teaching other peers how to advocate!
“Advocates are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry.”
- Bill Drayton, Leading Social Entrepreneurs Changing the World
What is Advocacy
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Voicing support for a particular cause or policy
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Speaking about or organizing support for something that affects you, someone you care about, or others in the same situation (may involve outreach, engagement, and education)
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Helping others advocate for themselves
Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialists use advocacy to:
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Promote client self-advocacy
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Help clients establish personal needs, goals, and objectives as their focal points of rehabilitation, resiliency, recovery, and wellness
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Assist clients in developing empowerment skills and combating stigma (i.e., public, structural, and self)
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Promote clients’ rights to services
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Address systemic issues in the public behavioral health system