Developing a Conceptual Framework for Advocacy

Identification of issue for policy action

This is the initial stage where the organization identifies a problem, sets the agenda and target institutions for creating change (Sharma, n.d.). This organization, The Child Advocate, is focused on various forms of child abuse which result in mental health issues. The organization promotes policies to support children and the parents and professionals who work with them and advocate for them. The contributors in this organization note that children are prone to various forms of abuses which increase the chances of mental health issues during childhood or in their adulthood. The major forms of abuses targeted are emotional abuse, neglect and physical and sexual abuse. The organization supports these concerns using statistics which indicate that one third of girls and one fifth of boys suffer from some form of abuse (The Child Advocate, 2015). The national structures to respond to cases of child abuse are inadequate despite the fact that the trauma caused by childhood abuse can result in biological changes and lifelong problems. Besides, many children die every year as a result of maltreatment or neglect. Reports indicate that about 1,770 children died in 2009 because of various forms of abuse (The Child Advocate, 2015). The aim of this organization is to rectify these issues by supporting children and those who are involved in ensuring their welfare at family and health care levels.

Solution formulation

The organization proposes legal, education and medical solutions to the problem of child abuse in society (The Child Advocate, 2015). The legal solutions are meant to safeguard the interests of the victims in court cases on child abuse. The organization seeks to assist the victims and their families to secure legal services and thus reduce the barriers to achieving justice for the victims. The legal solution is feasible because it takes advantage of existing structures in communication and advocacy for children’s rights. The organization depends on the national and state advocacy resources and agencies to help the victims and their caregivers. Educational solutions are meant to help parents and professionals working with children to identify alternative options for children with special needs. The process aims to guide the caregivers in identifying if a child needs special education and the available steps required to secure educational opportunities. The organization proposes medical solutions to provide important information on psychiatric issues through medical research on child abuse and mental health. The information from various research studies is identified as important in formulating effective responses to cases of child abuse. The education and medical solutions are politically feasible because they require the formulation of policies to support academic needs of children with special requirements and implementation of medical recommendations on the needs of children with mental health issues.

Building political will

Political will involves creating support and collaboration with important stakeholders in implementing the proposed solutions (Sharma, n.d.). The major stakeholders in this case include the professionals, parents and policy makers in political institutions. This organization uses various strategies to create awareness about child abuse and its effects to the society. It is actively involved in spreading news releases about children undergoing mental health care, safety for children and cases of child abuse in the society. The information creates the necessary awareness about the risks faced by children to the public and policy makers. The organization is a major participant in conferences on mental health services where the members create awareness among professionals in health care and legal services. There are initiatives to educate parents on the best approaches on child care and the available options for dealing with cases of child abuse.

Policy action

Policy action is concerned with actualization of the proposed solutions by gaining the support of decision makers and creating awareness for other people to act towards the set objectives (Sharma, n.d.). This organization uses initiatives to inform judges and attorneys about children’s needs. Judges and attorneys are important in safeguarding the interests of children in the criminal justice system. The aim is to ensure that the legal professionals do not take action which may worsen the situation of children, such as through incarceration of youths with serious mental disorders. The organization uses initiatives to educate parents and professionals dealing with children on issues of child abuse. Parents and professionals in child care are important in supporting development of protocol in juvenile psychiatric hospitalization and ensuring commitment to long term care for those affected by mental health problems (The Child Advocate, 2015). The organization is involved with the activities of the House Democratic Policy Committee‘s Public Hearing on prescription of stimulants and antidepressants to children. This initiative is meant to facilitate development of laws to prevent unapproved use of medications on children. The organization uses custody visitation to monitor the progress of children who live in orphanages and provide mental care services for children living in poor families. The initiative is meant to avoid situations where parents are forced to place their children under the custody of state agencies so that they can be provided with health care services. These activities are done in collaboration with national and state agencies.

Evaluation

Evaluation is meant to assess the effectiveness of the initiatives adopted to advocate for various solutions to a problem (Sharma, n.d.). The Child Advocate does not provide details about the effectiveness of their programs to achieve better outcomes in protecting the interests of children against various forms of abuses. However, the organization provides opportunity for public comments on their initiatives. The comment section is important in collecting views about the importance of the program to the public and identifying opportunities for improvement through the suggestions made by people outside the organization.

References

Sharma, R. R. (n.d.). ​An introduction to advocacy: Training guide. Washington, DC: The Academy for Educational Development, SARA Project.

The Child Advocate. (2015). Our goals. Retrieved from http://childadvocate.net/