BEING AN ADVOCATE

Challenges of being an advocate Katina Jackson BSHS 441 William Goodwin July 15, 2013

BEING AN ADVOCATE

Challenges of being an Advocate As an advocate your responsibility is to create a healthy and effective environment to work with a client. Developing a helping relationship with the client is influenced by the advocates or mediators attitude of respect, empathy, and cultural awareness of that client. Important factors that should be considered in creating an environment in which to work with a client are communication both verbal and non-verbal, critical observation, collaboration, advocacy, cultural diversity, self-determination, and quality of care. Working in the human services field, professionals come to play the roles of advocates and mediators. Being neutral in a particular role may become quite challenging. Client advocacy is the legal and ethical process granted to a client through the human service role. The advocate represents the client and his or her job is to focus on the needs of the client. This narrative will explore the ethical, moral, and legal challenges of potential dual relationships as an advocate or mediator. Challenges in Dual Relationship The responsibility of the advocate or mediator is to assist in conflict resolution between two or more parties and while trying to achieve this outcome he or she should not make any judgments or decisions. To define dual relationships as a social worker these are relationships that occur when a social worker assumes a second relationship with a client who may cause actual or potential conflicts between their professional duties and his or her social, religious or business relationships (Johner, 2006). The mediator can help achieve this goal by facilitating communication among the disputants. Of course, the mediator has to remain neutral. According to
Johner (2006), this type of crossing over between a professional relationship and into a second

relationship has the potential to be either ethical or unethical or somewhere in between. Some of these 'crossings' may be more helpful than harmful and vice versa (p. 3). Otherwise the process

BEING AN ADVOCATE

may come to an impasse when no one will be benefited. When any of the parties believe that the mediator or advocate is being partial or biased, they have the right to look for a different representation. So this is quite challenging for the advocate or mediator. Mediation and Advocacy: How Two Integrate Both mediators and advocates play important role in Social Services. Whereas advocates and mediators encourage better communication among the disputing parties, the advocates give support to individuals or groups by providing them with useful information about their rights. Advocates who have a positive relationship with decision makers can use collaborative approaches to influence change; advocates with an adversarial relationship with decision makers may need to build a more constructive relationship before trying to influence decision making (Summers, 2007). In fact, people are mostly unaware of their rights, privileges, and civil liberties and so advocacy plays an important role. At the same time, advocacy and mediations help them resolve issues effectively. The role of an advocate is to promote change and improvement into the lives of the client he or she are aiding. Personal Philosophy and Approach Professionals have ethical responsibilities to act honestly and with integrity. This means that professionals cannot use any means necessary, regardless of how worthy the goal or cause they are advocating (Summers, 2007). Pre-conceived beliefs of any kind personal or cultural bias are an enemy for a mediator and this is what one will need to practice throughout his or her future career. We can take the example of Planned Parenthood were deviating from existing alternative options can lead to no positive outcome. The advocate or mediator has to present the available alternatives to the disagreeing parties so that they can come to a common ground. For example, abstinence and birth control are two options. In the same manner, when there is the case of an

BEING AN ADVOCATE

unplanned pregnancy, the options are clear: keep the baby or give the child up for adoption or even abortion. The advocate or mediator has to make it clear that any decision made by the client will affect him or her for the rest of their lives. That is why this decision should be made after careful education, thought, and discussion. As a mediator for Planned Parenthood, one has to be ready with all the options and give the client enough time to consider his and her options. Of course, the decision is theirs. All helping professionals have an obligation to advance the interests of their clients. Most codes of professional conduct also impose an obligation to advance the broader causes of justice, health, or social well-being (Summers, 2007). Conclusion As dedication and passion are needed to have success and satisfaction in the job of mediation and advocacy, these roles are not for everybody. According to Summers, 2007, in an alliance situation, the decision makers view the advocate as someone who is on the same side. In a neutral situation, the decision maker views the advocate as an objective source of information or opinion. In an adversarial situation, the decision maker views the advocate as an enemy (p. 163). It may sound simple that an advocate has to stand by some individual or group for his or her rights and an advocate or mediator has to help conflicting parties come to a satisfactory agreement. However, these two roles may get intertwined and obtaining desired result needs unique skill and understanding.

BEING AN ADVOCATE

References Community Mediation Services. (2011). Mediation. Retrieved September 19, 2011 fromhttp://www.communitymediationservices.org/ Worldwide Legal Directories, (1995-2011). HG.org. Retrieved September 19, 2011 fromhttp://www.hg.org/mediation-definition.html Barsky, A.E. (2007). Conflict resolution for the helping professions (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Brooks/Cole Johner, R. (2006, Spring). Dual Relationship Legitimization and Client Self-Determination. Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 3(1).