Have only an hour to advocate?

Only have an hour?  You still have time to be an advocate!  Here are some tips on how to be an advocate in only a short period of time:

-          Patient-level advocacy:  Call a school official or write a compelling letter to advocate for special services for a patient (IEP, extra time for testing, school aide).

-          Community-level advocacy:  Remember last week how you figured out which Advisory Neighborhood Commission represented your neighborhood (at home or work) and signed up for email alerts?  Now, go ahead and VISIT one of their (typically monthly, evening) meetings!  Meeting times are typically posted on the ANC website, and many will email alerts to those on list-servs.  We encourage continuity clinic preceptors to even arrange to go together with their resident(s) to one ANC meeting representing their clinic site!

-          Federal-level advocacy:  Now that you emailed the AAP and became a Key Contact (and thus receive weekly, brief email alerts on federal child health issues and action points), visit the AAP’s Federal Advocacy Resource Center and set up an account.  From there, visit the “Action Center” to read quick, readable issue briefs on key issues – and send automated emails to your elected officials!!