Take Action! This discussion requires the student to actually take an advocacy action for a health issue of their choice.
1) Find a health or social service organization that has an advocacy webpage. 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.
· 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!
· 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
· 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).
2) 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.
Then for the Primary post:
· In the first paragraph of your primary post, describe the organization you selected, the policy action they desire, and the action you took.Lastly, 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.
· In your second paragraph, you will apply what you have learned:
o Identify one health communication principle, (e.g., tailoring, key messages, target audience, channels, social marketing- 4 Ps)  OR
o 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.
o AND then, describe how the health communication/advocacy principle applies to the action you are being asked to take. Reference and cite your text and readings in APA format.
Sources:
· You are required to use at least THREE sources from the textbook, government reports, peer-reviewed journal articles or textbooks. Use your OWN WORDS (e.g., do not cut and paste from a government report or article).
· Paraphrase (use your own words) to report the information.
· Include APA formatted in-text citations to identify your sources AND include full APA formatted references for your sources at the end of your post.
thanks,