Personal AdvocacyInitiatives for School-Based Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists

OverviewAdvocacy Definitions/Benefit

ASHA's Public Policy Agenda

Tips for Winning Advocacy

ASHA Advocacy Efforts on Behalf of School-Based Members

ASHA's State Efforts

MSHA Advocacy Efforts

Overview continued

Member Efforts

Negotiation Strategies

Developing an Advocacy Action Plan

Takeaway-Advocacy Tool

ASHA Resources/Contacts

MSHA Resources/Contacts

Advocacy is the essential and necessary

means by which ASHA and affiliated state

associations support and advance the

professions of audiology and speech-

language pathology in the areas of public

policy and popular opinion.

What is Advocacy?

What Is Advocacy?Advocacy is the essential and necessary means by which ASHA and affiliated state associations support and advance the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology in the areas of public policy and popular opinion.

ASHA and state associations advocate to support and advance the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology in public policy and popular opinion.

Advocating for the professions is essential and an important right and expectation of all members

Why is Advocacy Essential?

Advocacy is used to:• educate;

• Inform; and

• persuade

…others to support our issues!

Why Is Advocacy Necessary?

• It empowers and accomplishes goals

• It provides the opportunity to participate in government and local decision making

• It is part of the ASHA Code of Ethics

• It is your right…

• You have the right to Advocate!

ASHA Advocacy

• ASHA’s annual Public Policy Agenda identifies the issues members indicate are important to the professions and staff develop and implement advocacy strategies to carry them out.

• Issue categories include:

• Health Care

• Schools

• Professional Practice and Workforce

• Patient, Client, and Student

Health Care Issues

Examples include advocating for:

• Comprehensive coverage and equitable reimbursement of audiology and speech-language pathology services

• Continued coverage of habilitation and rehabilitation services

• Audiology and speech-language pathology in alternative payment models

Approximately 73.4

million individuals

were enrolled in

Medicaid and CHIP

in 201860 million

people are

covered by

Medicare

Schools Issues

Examples include advocating for:

• Reasonable caseloads based on workload models

• Streamlined documentation

• Increased funding for public schools

was spent on special

education and related

services under IDEA

in 2017.

$13B

Professional Practice and Workforce Issues

Examples include

• Promoting education, regulation, and utilization of audiology and speech-language pathology assistants.

• Responding to infringement upon scope of practice.

• Adoption of the interstate Compact (ASLPIC)

Patient, Client, and Student Issues

Examples include:

• Promoting audiological health care services; safe devices for habilitation, rehabilitation, and prevention; and safe hearing environments

• Advocating for public policies that ensure appropriate assessments, services, funding, and informed choice exist.

ASHA Collaborates with States

ASHA works with state associations on a variety of state-level advocacy efforts such as:

• Supporting issues that promote:• Single state licensure for audiology and speech-language pathology

• Licensing audiology and speech-language pathology assistants

• Salary supplement for audiologists and SLPs who have their Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)

• Opposing issues that:• Infringe on scope of practice by other professions that lack education and

training to assess and treat communication disorders

• Create burdensome requirements for occupational licensure review that could lead to deregulation of the professions

ASHA Resources

ASHA has a team of 20 government affairs and public policy professionals who can assist you with your advocacy planning and advocacy needs!

The State Affairs Team provides customized resources, guidance, and support on state-specific advocacy initiatives.

Contact:

Jeffrey P. Regan Janet Deppe

Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy Director, State Affairs

jregan@asha.org jdeppe@asha.org

Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy: • Tips for successful interactions

Understand Your Audience

• Do Your Homework-

• Does the legislator have a link to the professions?• Know the political views and policy interests

• Learn about the legislator’s constituent base

• Identify his/her committee assignments

• Read their biographies and identify personal interests

• Determine their political agenda/voting record

Develop the Message

• Identify the goal

• Prepare for opposing points of view

• Create the message• 1 minute, 5 minute message

• “Elevator speech”

Plan a Meeting with a Legislator

• Prepare a fact sheet and talking points that provide background information, data, and facts to support your position

• Invite a consumer or plan to share a personal story during your visit

• Create a handout or other “leave behind” with contact information to provide them

Deliver Your Message

• Make an appointment and be on time

• When delivering your message, be sure to:• Be accurate and concise; don’t get off message

• Use facts and data to support your position

• Eliminate jargon

• Ask for support and wait for a reply

• Share a personal story

• Be positive and courteous even if your positions differ

• Promise to follow-up with answers to questions you don’t know

• Don’t overstay your welcome

After the Meeting

• Write a personal thank you note

• Inform your group of the results

• Remember to get back to the legislator/staff with answers to questions you didn’t know

What Works?

• Learn the best way to “influence” decision makers

• Face-to-face conversations are best

• Letters need to be original

• Telephone calls and e-mail also work

“What works best is personal thoughtful communication.”

Blackwell, 2010

BREAK

ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY

• Breakouts after each role play scenario

Scenario #1 Questions:1. What needs to be done differently to achieve the goal?

2. Did the advocate make a request or attempt to engage the legislator on the issue?

3. What about the professional language used by the advocate?

ROLE PLAY ACTIVITY

• Scenario #2 Questions

1. How was this message better?

2. Did the advocate use facts and data? How?

3. How did the advocate respond to the legislator’s “hostility”?

4. Why is a personal story important?

ASHA’s Advocacy with States: State Outreach Initiative

• ASHA’s Board of Directors approved creation of the State Outreach Initiative whose purposes are:

• To improve communication between recognized state speech-language-hearing associations (SSLHA) and ASHA

• To increase collaboration between ASHA and the SSLHAs

• States were assigned a state liaison who makes periodic contact with state leaders to learn about member issues and provide ASHA resources and support

State Affairs Team Liaisons

Central RegionJanet Deppe, Director, State Affairsjdeppe@asha.org301-296-5668

Southern RegionTim BoydDirector, State Health Care and Education Affairstboyd@asha.org

301-296-5666

Western RegionEileen Crowe, Director, State Association Relationsecrowe@asha.org301-296-5667

Northeastern RegionSusan AdamsDirector, State Legislative & Regulatory Affairssadams@asha.org301-296-5665

How ASHA State Team Supports State Efforts

State Legislative and Regulatory tracking system which allows staff to monitor legislative and regulatory activity in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

01Monitor trends in licensure, health care and education

02Provide SSLHAs with technical assistance and related resources relative to specific legislative and regulatory measures.

03

How ASHA State Team Supports State Efforts

State liaisons meet with State Association leaders and attend state meetings to provide information to members and help associations develop plans and implementation strategies to assist with member issues

Support the use of ASHA Web site for grassroots letter and e-mail campaigns to state legislators and regulators

Develop testimony, talking points, legislative language and letters of support or opposition

•

School Based Issues: 2018 ASHA Schools Survey

2018 Schools Survey Identifies Three Major Challenges:

• Paperwork

• High caseload/workload requirements

• Limited time for collaborating with staff and parents

ASHA Advocacy Efforts for School-Based Members

• Paperwork reduction

• Caseload/Workload

• IDEA reauthorization/funding

• School Choice• Considerations regarding Vouchers, Scholarships

• Public school funding

ASHA/State Association Advocacy Efforts for School-Based Members

• Legislative studies on workload

• Promoting workload calculator

• Providing resources/successful models of alternative service delivery

• Salary Supplement Initiatives

MSHA Efforts for School-Based Members

Developing a Personal Advocacy Plan

How to Influence Decision Makers in Your School District• Define the Key issue

• Form a Group of like-minded individuals

• Identify key decision makers• Principal• Special Education Director• Superintendent• School Board

• Timelines

• Develop proposal/presentation with ”ask”

• Determine points of negotiation/compromise

BREAK

School Based Solutions to Caseload Workload Issues

Pros and Cons

Caseload Cap

Alternative Service Delivery Options

Extenders (SLPAs)

Use of telepractice/telesupervision

Negotiation Strategies

“The Art of Woo”Richard Shell and Mario Moussa

Negotiation

Grabbing Your Audience’s Attention

Making it Vivid

Vivid

Grabbing Your Audience’s Attention-Use Demonstrations/Symbols

Putting Your Heart Into It

Negotiation

Grabbing Your Audience’s Attention

Tell a personal story

Negotiation

Grabbing Your Audience’s Attention

NegotiationMake it a Puzzle

Build Bridges with Analogies and Metaphors

Force Your Audience to Think

Force You Audience to Think

• Questioning the Obvious

• Reversals

• Let’s Pretend

• Reconceptualize

Advocacy Planning Template

Advocacy Step Status Member

responsible

Activity

Completed

Notes

Define advocacy Issue

Identify group

members

Leader/spokesperson

Identify decision

makers

Determine timelines

for decision making

Develop proposal

Deliver to key

audience

Be prepared to answer

difficult question

Determine points of

ASHA Resources

• State Advocacy information: http://www.asha.org/advocacy/

• Advocating for salary increases in your school district: https://www.asha.org/Advocacy/state/issues/Advocacy-Resource-Guide-for-the-Salary-Supplement-

• Advocating for increased benefits in schools: https://www.asha.org/Advocacy/state/advocacy-schools/

• Caseload/Workload: https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/Caseload-and-Workload/

• ASHA’s Workload Calculator: https://www.asha.org/slp/schools/workload-calculator/

MSHA Resources/Contacts

You Make A Difference!

Members have the strongest voice when it comes to advocacy:

• Share your professional/personal stories about how issues impact you and those you serve

• Remember- Any Advocacy Effort takes patience and persistence

Questions