YPR Chapter Advocacy Initiative Overview

This is a resource for chapter leads to create a plan for their advocacy initiative. As we begin to implement a new advocacy framework, we want to provide a resource to help guide your advocacy planning. This will help ensure the chapter lead is on track, and the following steps are clear. Chapters will have the option of collaborating together on one single advocacy issue.  These chapters will band together in their respective states and work together on identifying a singular issue and forming an advocacy plan around it.

As you work through this planning stage, you will want to consider your target dates. Because there are many variables throughout the advocacy process, deadlines will be flexible. You will set a target date for completion and track progress. 

If your initiative is dependent on outside factors such as legislative sessions, continue to track the next steps. This requires planning, flexibility, and persistence toward the goal. Just because it didn’t happen now doesn’t mean that success can’t be achieved in the future. Each attempt is important and gains momentum toward the end goal. 

As you choose your target date, consider outside factors, factors you can control such as event planning, community outreach, meeting schedules, and stakeholder availability to set realistic and achievable target dates. 

Once this planning exercise is complete, the information will be uploaded to Salesforce for advocacy tracking. If you need support in this process, Ben Durgan is available and ready to answer any questions and support your advocacy efforts. 

Instructions 

1. Create a detailed advocacy plan for stages 1-6. Write them below at the coordinating stage. 
2. Upload the plan into Salesforce with your advocacy initiative as a document 
3. Create an “advocacy activity” for each stage of the advocacy plan with target dates.  

The Advocacy Process: Step By Step Guide

Stage 1: Research & Identify Issues: Chapters should be looking at several different options to work on.  You should be looking at different issues facing your communities that YPR could focus on and bring value to.

Stage 2: Conduct Community Resource Mapping: Identifying gaps in resources throughout your community.  Whether that be Narcan training, treatment centers, or other addiction-related services.  Really should be focusing on the resources that are most needed in your community

Stage 3: Conduct Community Outreach: Begin speaking with and engaging outside stakeholders about potential initiatives and gauge interest in potential collaborations

Stage 4: Mobilize Community Stakeholders: Gather support (hard or soft) from community organizations and other external partners for the initiative and begin the advocacy & messaging strategy

Stage 5: Advocacy In Action: Begin directly executing your advocacy plan or strategy (i.e., lobbying elected officials, holding Narcan training, speaking at government meetings, etc.).  This is the execution of the initiative itself.

Stage 6: Evaluate: Post-Initiative evaluation.  Evaluation can be data/information or based on the final outcome (i.e., how many people attended Narcan training, did the legislation pass or fail?).

YPR Chapter Initiative Framework

Stage 1: 

Stage 2: 

Stage 3: 

Stage 4: 

Stage 5:

Stage 6: