Week Three Discussion- Take Action!

Take Action! This weeks’ discussion requires the student to actually take an advocacy action for a health issue of their choice.

Step One: Find a health or social service organization that has an advocacy web page. It is common for an advocacy group to have some kind of action you can take or a link to take action on their home page. Here are some suggestions

· If you are already working in health or social service (e.g., nursing) your professional association often takes positions on health policy you might care about. Public health professionals may want to start with the American Public Health Association, for a variety of health issues and actions you can take: http://action.apha.org/site/PageNavigator/Advocacy. Another organization that provides opportunity for the public to take action is the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The core issues American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is focused on are tobacco prevention, cancer research and health care access to name a few. Visit their take action page

· For instance, on this page you can “take action” on this bill: Speak for health Fund Public health in 2019. Advocating for this bill will help to provide adequate funding for critical public health agencies and programs in FY 2019. To take action you would fill out the provided form and then submit it. Upon submission APHA will ensure delivery to the appropriate state Senators and Representatives. Once completed, you have advocated and in fact, taken action on this health issue! Nice work!

· Also, in your text, there are lists of stakeholders (organizations/groups) in chapter 4 pp 74-75; 77 that may have a website in which you could choose to take action. Further, chapter 6-14 covers public health issues and many stakeholders are described in each (which may also have an associated web page you could view and select an action).

StepTwo: Then, engage in an advocacy action (e.g. contact your elected officials, mail, email, call; write a letter to the editor) through their online advocacy site.

Step Three: Primary Post

1. In the first paragraph of your primary post, describe the organization you selected, the policy action they desired (e.g. support of a bill, policy, movement), and the action you took (e.g. sign a petition, submit a pre-filled letter, etc..).

· Include a SCREEN SHOT of the action you took. Usually, it is a pre-written letter to a policy maker. Whatever type it may be, take the shot, save it as a .jpg on your pc and insert it into your primary post.

2. What public health issue/health problem does the policy action that you took address? Be as specific as you can, so someone else reading your post will understand the situation.

3. Identify one health communication principle, (e.g., tailoring, key messages, target audience, channels, social marketing- 4 Ps) and describe how it applies to the action you took.

4. Identify one advocacy principle (e.g. problem definition, policy solution, stakeholders, branch of government, unintended consequences of the policy, how to amplify this action) that is being applied to this advocacy action and describe how it applies to the action you are being asked to take.