560405
research-article2014
HPPXXX10.1177/1524839914560405Health Promotion PracticeGarcia et al. / Professional Development Through Policy Advocacy
Career Development
Professional Development Through Policy Advocacy: Communicating and Advocating for Health and Health Equity Lydia Berenice Garcia, MPH1 Kristen Eileen Hernandez, MPH2 Holly Mata, PhD, CHES1
Communicating and advocating for evidence-based public health policy is a key component of health promotion practice, but public health professionals often lack experience in policy advocacy. This article provides perspectives from public health professionals who participated in successful public health policy advocacy efforts in their community. Their experiences using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that promote health equity contributed significantly to their career development, and also contributed to community capacity to reduce tobacco-related disparities. This article builds on previous work emphasizing the value of career development opportunities that enhance and diversify the public health workforce, and provides practical tips and “lessons learned” that are relevant to a wide range of public health professionals. Keywords: career development/professional preparation; advocacy; tobacco prevention and control
Introduction from the Coeditors >> This article provides perspectives from public health professionals who participated in successful public health policy advocacy efforts in their community. Their experiences using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that promote health equity contributed significantly to their career development,
Health Promotion Practice March 2015 Vol. 16, No. (2) 162–165 DOI: 10.1177/1524839914560405 © 2014 Society for Public Health Education
and also contributed to community capacity to reduce tobacco-related disparities. This article builds on previous work emphasizing the value of career development opportunities that enhance and diversify the public health workforce (Hernandez, Bejarano, Reyes, Chavez, & Mata, 2013). Communicating and advocating for evidence-based public health policy is a key component of health promotion practice, but public health professionals often lack experience in policy advocacy. Our policy work in the U.S.–Mexico border region described below aligned with local research and policy efforts and enabled us to contribute to community capacity while enhancing our careers. In this article, we describe new experiences working on several smoke-free policy efforts as part of a binational Tobacco Control Network and a local Clean Air Coalition. Specifically, we (a) broadened the scope 1
The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA DHPE, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
2
Authors’ Note: Address correspondence to Holly Mata, University of Texas at El Paso, School of Nursing, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; e-mail: [email protected].
Associate Editors, Career Development Department Randall R. Cottrell, DEd, MCHES, is a professor and program coordinator for the Public Health Studies program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Holly Mata, PhD, CHES, is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center at The University of Texas at El Paso. Her research interests include cultural influences on health behaviors, mental health and substance use in the U.S.–Mexico border region, and building community capacity to advocate for health equity policy.
162
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
Career Development of our practice and networks, (b) used evidence-based practice to promote health, (c) advocated for healthrelated policies and laws, and (d) reinforced the importance of prioritizing populations most at risk for tobacco-related disparities. We hope our experiences are helpful to practitioners advocating for policies that promote health equity.
Smoke-Free Public Housing: >>
Advocating for Equity, Safety, and Fiscal Responsibility
In response to local data suggesting high smoking prevalence among residents of subsidized public housing (Mata et al., 2013), the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (http://www.pdnhf.org) funded researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso and the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP) to assess support for smoke-free policy, provide education to stakeholders, and engage youth in the policy process. We were involved from the beginning of the project, using an assignment in a grant-writing class and recent smoke-free housing research as an opportunity to collaborate with community partners who viewed smokefree multiunit housing as a health equity issue. From a growing body of research and policy evidence, we realized that although we were motivated from a social justice perspective, the safety and economic benefits were also well documented (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2012) and were important to other stakeholders. Our first step was to meet with HACEP staff to discuss resources needed, develop a time line for resident surveys and education, and work through the logistics of holding community forums in 54 residential communities in our city. The purpose of the community forums was to engage residents and assess support for smoke-free policy, provide education on the health risks of secondhand smoke exposure, and provide smoking cessation education and information. Over the next 6 months, we surveyed 1,422 households. We spent at least 3 days a week in the communities. We had varied levels of participation in community forums, so we went door-to-door inviting participation, which greatly increased interest in the survey and the forums. Many residents were grateful that we were working with their communities. In the elderly communities, residents were very welcoming and enjoyed the interaction. Although the majority (more than 80%) of residents supported a smoke-free policy, some did not, and they appreciated having their voices and input heard. Concerns of the residents who opposed the
potential policy were around enforcement, implementation, and fear of eviction. Feedback from residents helped shape policy development, educational outreach, and staff training, and we were able to contribute to training and education efforts over the course of the next year. This time allowed residents to learn more about the policy and what would happen if it was implemented in their communities. Based on the survey results and on the health, safety, and economic benefits of smokefree housing, HACEP announced early in 2014 that they would develop and implement smoke-free policy by January 2015. We continued to work with our partners, promoting free and accessible cessation programs; we also helped develop a summer program in which nursing students in their last semester were trained in screening and a brief intervention for tobacco use and then provided smoking cessation education and referral at health fairs within HACEP communities (The University of Texas at El Paso, 2014). This also gave us the opportunity to mentor the nursing students in planning and implementing health education, and reinforced the need for ongoing education and cessation resources as part of the policy process. We also benefited from the chance to mentor undergraduate health promotion and nursing students in tobacco-related disparities and the need for smoke-free policy.
Local Public Policy Advocacy: >>
Protecting our Right to Breathe Clean Air
Our community was “out front” with public health policy in 2002 when El Paso passed one of the most progressive Clean Air Ordinances in the country. Guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) best practices, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation launched A Smoke Free Paso del Norte initiative in 1999. The initiative promotes strong clean indoor air ordinances, tobacco use prevention and cessation programs and media campaigns, and youth engagement and advocacy. Research has shown the impact of the initiative on daily smoking prevalence (Taylor et al., 2012) and is reflected in our current smoking prevalence of 15%, which is lower than state and national averages. Over time and reflecting our regional focus on health equity, our regional tobacco control network has continued to respond to emerging tobacco trends, and prioritizes vulnerable populations most at risk for tobacco-related disparities. Being a part of this network has allowed us to bridge research, practice, and policy.
Garcia et al. / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POLICY ADVOCACY 163
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
The Paso del Norte Tobacco Control Network continues to engage a large group of stakeholders from diverse sectors, including health care, housing, transportation, law enforcement, public health, education, the military, youth groups, and the media. With monthly meetings and frequent capacity-building workshops, the Network recently recognized a number of local policy achievements, including multiple hospital campuses going smoke-free and a major law enforcement agency implementing a smoke-free campus as well as a tobaccofree policy for all employees. Of particular note during the past year was the implementation of tobacco-free policy on all University of Texas at El Paso property, HACEP’s decision to go smoke-free in all units and all common areas, and the amendment of the city Clean Air Ordinance passed on June 17, 2014, to strengthen the public and workplace smoking restrictions (City of El Paso, 2014). The amendments strengthened the ordinance in several ways, including a ban on smoking in all city-owned or city-leased properties including parks, and including e-cigarettes and “vaping” as part of the smoking definition. We participated in the monthly meetings with the Paso del Norte Tobacco Control Network. During a regularly planned meeting, network coordinators asked the practitioners if anyone would be able to speak as a resident of the community. This gave us the opportunity to build our communication and advocacy skills and to tailor our message to local policy makers. We developed talking points based on our research and our own public health experience, followed procedures to register to speak during the hearings, and provided testimony to City Council on the proposed changes to the ordinance. It was empowering to realize the impact that community input can have on public health policy! We also realized how important our collective voice is in advocating for policies that promote health equity. One of our colleagues was interviewed by local media following the meeting, which reinforced our role as advocates through a variety of communication channels.
Lessons Learned and Helpful >> Resources
As public health professionals, the impact of our participation in these policy advocacy and policy change efforts has been profound. Although we are at different stages of our careers, we all feel strongly that these efforts opened up new possibilities for us as public health professionals, and widened the scope of our practice. Most important to us, we believe that we not only strengthened our individual capacity for policy advocacy but also contributed to increased community
capacity to use evidence-based research to develop policies to promote health, and to advocate for healthrelated policies, regulations, laws, or rules. Through the smoke-free housing project, when we noticed that in some communities residents were not attending the forums, we deployed alternative approaches to increase resident participation. We reached out to people to invite them personally, and provided a phone-in option. The survey and forums were also promoted through newsletters and rent receipts. It was imperative to HACEP that every voice be heard when considering this policy change. This process reinforced for us the importance of deliberate, intentional efforts to engage people most at risk for tobacco-related disparities, and to tailor our health promotion and policy work to their needs. We were also excited to be gaining skills in an advanced-level competency of Communicating and Advocating for Health and Health Education (National Commission for Health Education and Credentialing, 2010). Our work involved using evidence-based research to develop policies to promote health, and we grew as professionals through our involvement in the policy process. We also grew through participating in our local tobacco control network, communicating with other practitioners from diverse sectors, and taking an active role in different levels of policy processes. We collaborated with people who have many years of experience in the public health field. It was exciting to be working and learning from them and to develop connections for future policy efforts. We have the ability and the responsibility to advocate for policies that improve community health and promote health equity (Hernandez et al., 2013), and we also have the responsibility of continuous learning and professional development to be able to advocate effectively. We learned an important lesson about the relationship between health equity and policy advocacy. As we learned more about the extent of secondhand smoke exposure in public housing from existing research and from our own work here, we learned that the rates of secondhand smoke exposure were higher among people living in public housing—making smoke-free housing a health equity imperative! Ultimately, our efforts helped facilitate smoke-free policy that will protect people’s right to breathe clean air. In our experience advocating for health-related policies, regulations, laws, or rules, we found it beneficial to be current with research and emerging trends. The use of e-cigarettes is relatively new. It was crucial for us to research and communicate current data to support the key points we shared with city council. It was a different environment for us to be in a setting where there
164 HEALTH PROMOTION PRACTICE / March 2015
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Career Development
Table 1 Helpful Resources for Health Equity Policy Advocates Organization
Link and Brief Description
Society for Public Health Education Health Education Advocate Directors of Health Promotion and Education American Public Health Association Community Commons Health Equity Leadership and Exchange Network
http://www.sophe.org/advocacy.cfm Advocacy resources, tool kits, priorities, and issue briefs http://healtheducationadvocate.org/ Advocacy resources, tool kits, and resources, including Health Education Advocacy Summit materials http://dhpe.site-ym.com/group/healthpolicy Advocacy resources and trainings, internship opportunities https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/advocacy-for-publichealth Advocacy resources, action alerts, infographics and issue briefs http://www.communitycommons.org/ Interactive mapping, networking, and learning platforms http://healthequitynetwork.org/ Forum for health equity advocates, analysis and information on health policies and laws
were people arguing against what we believed to be policy in the best interest of public health! We learned that our position could be challenged even though we were sharing evidence-based and evidence-informed policy options, and we needed to be prepared to respectfully but convincingly counter arguments from the electronic cigarette industry and “vaping” advocates. A key lesson was that it took more than one of us to deliver compelling testimony to our city council! Based on our experience, we suggest getting involved in policy advocacy through participating in local coalitions or networks that are active in policy work. As public health professionals, we bring skills to a coalition and can provide additional support to advocate for policies that promote health equity. To build these skills and to be able to influence policy to promote health equity, take advantage of resources offered through the Society for Public Health Education and other professional organizations. Some of our favorite organizations and resources are provided in Table 1. Check them out, get involved, and Collaborate, Communicate, and Advocate!
City of El Paso. (2014). Ordinance amending public and workplace smoking restrictions. Retrieved from http://www.elpasotexas. gov/muni_clerk/_documents/Smoking%20-%20Public%20and %20Workplace%20Restrictions.pdf#view=fitH
References
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing. (2012, May 29). Non-smoking policies in public housing (Notice: PIH 2012-25). Retrieved from http:// portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=pih2012-25. pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Best practices for comprehensive tobacco control programs-2007. Atlanta, GA: Author.
Hernandez, K., Bejarano, S., Reyes, F., Chavez, M., & Mata, H. (2013). Experience preferred: Insights from our newest public health professionals on how internships/practicums promote career development. Health Promotion Practice, 15, 95-99. Mata, H., Flores, M., Castañeda, E., Medina-Jerez, W., Lachica, J., Smith, C., & Olvera, H. (2013). Health, hope, and human development: Building capacity in public housing communities on the U.S.–Mexico border. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24, 1432-1439. National Commission for Health Education and Credentialing. (2014). Responsibilities and competencies for health education specialists. Retrieved from http://www.nchec.org/credentialing/ responsibilities/ Taylor, T., Cooper, T., Hernandez, N., Kelly, M., Law, J., & Colwell, B. (2012). A Smoke-Free Paso del Norte: Impact over 10 years on smoking prevalence using the behavioral risk factor surveillance system. American Journal of Public Health, 102, 899-908. The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014). Nursing students help community residents kick the habit. Retrieved from http://news. utep.edu/?p=25795
Garcia et al. / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POLICY ADVOCACY 165
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
research-article2014
HPPXXX10.1177/1524839914560405Health Promotion PracticeGarcia et al. / Professional Development Through Policy Advocacy
Career Development
Professional Development Through Policy Advocacy: Communicating and Advocating for Health and Health Equity Lydia Berenice Garcia, MPH1 Kristen Eileen Hernandez, MPH2 Holly Mata, PhD, CHES1
Communicating and advocating for evidence-based public health policy is a key component of health promotion practice, but public health professionals often lack experience in policy advocacy. This article provides perspectives from public health professionals who participated in successful public health policy advocacy efforts in their community. Their experiences using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that promote health equity contributed significantly to their career development, and also contributed to community capacity to reduce tobacco-related disparities. This article builds on previous work emphasizing the value of career development opportunities that enhance and diversify the public health workforce, and provides practical tips and “lessons learned” that are relevant to a wide range of public health professionals. Keywords: career development/professional preparation; advocacy; tobacco prevention and control
Introduction from the Coeditors >> This article provides perspectives from public health professionals who participated in successful public health policy advocacy efforts in their community. Their experiences using evidence-based research to advocate for policies that promote health equity contributed significantly to their career development,
Health Promotion Practice March 2015 Vol. 16, No. (2) 162–165 DOI: 10.1177/1524839914560405 © 2014 Society for Public Health Education
and also contributed to community capacity to reduce tobacco-related disparities. This article builds on previous work emphasizing the value of career development opportunities that enhance and diversify the public health workforce (Hernandez, Bejarano, Reyes, Chavez, & Mata, 2013). Communicating and advocating for evidence-based public health policy is a key component of health promotion practice, but public health professionals often lack experience in policy advocacy. Our policy work in the U.S.–Mexico border region described below aligned with local research and policy efforts and enabled us to contribute to community capacity while enhancing our careers. In this article, we describe new experiences working on several smoke-free policy efforts as part of a binational Tobacco Control Network and a local Clean Air Coalition. Specifically, we (a) broadened the scope 1
The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA DHPE, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
2
Authors’ Note: Address correspondence to Holly Mata, University of Texas at El Paso, School of Nursing, 500 W. University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; e-mail: [email protected].
Associate Editors, Career Development Department Randall R. Cottrell, DEd, MCHES, is a professor and program coordinator for the Public Health Studies program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Holly Mata, PhD, CHES, is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Hispanic Health Disparities Research Center at The University of Texas at El Paso. Her research interests include cultural influences on health behaviors, mental health and substance use in the U.S.–Mexico border region, and building community capacity to advocate for health equity policy.
162
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
Career Development of our practice and networks, (b) used evidence-based practice to promote health, (c) advocated for healthrelated policies and laws, and (d) reinforced the importance of prioritizing populations most at risk for tobacco-related disparities. We hope our experiences are helpful to practitioners advocating for policies that promote health equity.
Smoke-Free Public Housing: >>
Advocating for Equity, Safety, and Fiscal Responsibility
In response to local data suggesting high smoking prevalence among residents of subsidized public housing (Mata et al., 2013), the Paso del Norte Health Foundation (http://www.pdnhf.org) funded researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso and the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP) to assess support for smoke-free policy, provide education to stakeholders, and engage youth in the policy process. We were involved from the beginning of the project, using an assignment in a grant-writing class and recent smoke-free housing research as an opportunity to collaborate with community partners who viewed smokefree multiunit housing as a health equity issue. From a growing body of research and policy evidence, we realized that although we were motivated from a social justice perspective, the safety and economic benefits were also well documented (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2012) and were important to other stakeholders. Our first step was to meet with HACEP staff to discuss resources needed, develop a time line for resident surveys and education, and work through the logistics of holding community forums in 54 residential communities in our city. The purpose of the community forums was to engage residents and assess support for smoke-free policy, provide education on the health risks of secondhand smoke exposure, and provide smoking cessation education and information. Over the next 6 months, we surveyed 1,422 households. We spent at least 3 days a week in the communities. We had varied levels of participation in community forums, so we went door-to-door inviting participation, which greatly increased interest in the survey and the forums. Many residents were grateful that we were working with their communities. In the elderly communities, residents were very welcoming and enjoyed the interaction. Although the majority (more than 80%) of residents supported a smoke-free policy, some did not, and they appreciated having their voices and input heard. Concerns of the residents who opposed the
potential policy were around enforcement, implementation, and fear of eviction. Feedback from residents helped shape policy development, educational outreach, and staff training, and we were able to contribute to training and education efforts over the course of the next year. This time allowed residents to learn more about the policy and what would happen if it was implemented in their communities. Based on the survey results and on the health, safety, and economic benefits of smokefree housing, HACEP announced early in 2014 that they would develop and implement smoke-free policy by January 2015. We continued to work with our partners, promoting free and accessible cessation programs; we also helped develop a summer program in which nursing students in their last semester were trained in screening and a brief intervention for tobacco use and then provided smoking cessation education and referral at health fairs within HACEP communities (The University of Texas at El Paso, 2014). This also gave us the opportunity to mentor the nursing students in planning and implementing health education, and reinforced the need for ongoing education and cessation resources as part of the policy process. We also benefited from the chance to mentor undergraduate health promotion and nursing students in tobacco-related disparities and the need for smoke-free policy.
Local Public Policy Advocacy: >>
Protecting our Right to Breathe Clean Air
Our community was “out front” with public health policy in 2002 when El Paso passed one of the most progressive Clean Air Ordinances in the country. Guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) best practices, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation launched A Smoke Free Paso del Norte initiative in 1999. The initiative promotes strong clean indoor air ordinances, tobacco use prevention and cessation programs and media campaigns, and youth engagement and advocacy. Research has shown the impact of the initiative on daily smoking prevalence (Taylor et al., 2012) and is reflected in our current smoking prevalence of 15%, which is lower than state and national averages. Over time and reflecting our regional focus on health equity, our regional tobacco control network has continued to respond to emerging tobacco trends, and prioritizes vulnerable populations most at risk for tobacco-related disparities. Being a part of this network has allowed us to bridge research, practice, and policy.
Garcia et al. / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POLICY ADVOCACY 163
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
The Paso del Norte Tobacco Control Network continues to engage a large group of stakeholders from diverse sectors, including health care, housing, transportation, law enforcement, public health, education, the military, youth groups, and the media. With monthly meetings and frequent capacity-building workshops, the Network recently recognized a number of local policy achievements, including multiple hospital campuses going smoke-free and a major law enforcement agency implementing a smoke-free campus as well as a tobaccofree policy for all employees. Of particular note during the past year was the implementation of tobacco-free policy on all University of Texas at El Paso property, HACEP’s decision to go smoke-free in all units and all common areas, and the amendment of the city Clean Air Ordinance passed on June 17, 2014, to strengthen the public and workplace smoking restrictions (City of El Paso, 2014). The amendments strengthened the ordinance in several ways, including a ban on smoking in all city-owned or city-leased properties including parks, and including e-cigarettes and “vaping” as part of the smoking definition. We participated in the monthly meetings with the Paso del Norte Tobacco Control Network. During a regularly planned meeting, network coordinators asked the practitioners if anyone would be able to speak as a resident of the community. This gave us the opportunity to build our communication and advocacy skills and to tailor our message to local policy makers. We developed talking points based on our research and our own public health experience, followed procedures to register to speak during the hearings, and provided testimony to City Council on the proposed changes to the ordinance. It was empowering to realize the impact that community input can have on public health policy! We also realized how important our collective voice is in advocating for policies that promote health equity. One of our colleagues was interviewed by local media following the meeting, which reinforced our role as advocates through a variety of communication channels.
Lessons Learned and Helpful >> Resources
As public health professionals, the impact of our participation in these policy advocacy and policy change efforts has been profound. Although we are at different stages of our careers, we all feel strongly that these efforts opened up new possibilities for us as public health professionals, and widened the scope of our practice. Most important to us, we believe that we not only strengthened our individual capacity for policy advocacy but also contributed to increased community
capacity to use evidence-based research to develop policies to promote health, and to advocate for healthrelated policies, regulations, laws, or rules. Through the smoke-free housing project, when we noticed that in some communities residents were not attending the forums, we deployed alternative approaches to increase resident participation. We reached out to people to invite them personally, and provided a phone-in option. The survey and forums were also promoted through newsletters and rent receipts. It was imperative to HACEP that every voice be heard when considering this policy change. This process reinforced for us the importance of deliberate, intentional efforts to engage people most at risk for tobacco-related disparities, and to tailor our health promotion and policy work to their needs. We were also excited to be gaining skills in an advanced-level competency of Communicating and Advocating for Health and Health Education (National Commission for Health Education and Credentialing, 2010). Our work involved using evidence-based research to develop policies to promote health, and we grew as professionals through our involvement in the policy process. We also grew through participating in our local tobacco control network, communicating with other practitioners from diverse sectors, and taking an active role in different levels of policy processes. We collaborated with people who have many years of experience in the public health field. It was exciting to be working and learning from them and to develop connections for future policy efforts. We have the ability and the responsibility to advocate for policies that improve community health and promote health equity (Hernandez et al., 2013), and we also have the responsibility of continuous learning and professional development to be able to advocate effectively. We learned an important lesson about the relationship between health equity and policy advocacy. As we learned more about the extent of secondhand smoke exposure in public housing from existing research and from our own work here, we learned that the rates of secondhand smoke exposure were higher among people living in public housing—making smoke-free housing a health equity imperative! Ultimately, our efforts helped facilitate smoke-free policy that will protect people’s right to breathe clean air. In our experience advocating for health-related policies, regulations, laws, or rules, we found it beneficial to be current with research and emerging trends. The use of e-cigarettes is relatively new. It was crucial for us to research and communicate current data to support the key points we shared with city council. It was a different environment for us to be in a setting where there
164 HEALTH PROMOTION PRACTICE / March 2015
Downloaded from hpp.sagepub.com at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on May 23, 2015
Career Development
Table 1 Helpful Resources for Health Equity Policy Advocates Organization
Link and Brief Description
Society for Public Health Education Health Education Advocate Directors of Health Promotion and Education American Public Health Association Community Commons Health Equity Leadership and Exchange Network
http://www.sophe.org/advocacy.cfm Advocacy resources, tool kits, priorities, and issue briefs http://healtheducationadvocate.org/ Advocacy resources, tool kits, and resources, including Health Education Advocacy Summit materials http://dhpe.site-ym.com/group/healthpolicy Advocacy resources and trainings, internship opportunities https://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/advocacy-for-publichealth Advocacy resources, action alerts, infographics and issue briefs http://www.communitycommons.org/ Interactive mapping, networking, and learning platforms http://healthequitynetwork.org/ Forum for health equity advocates, analysis and information on health policies and laws
were people arguing against what we believed to be policy in the best interest of public health! We learned that our position could be challenged even though we were sharing evidence-based and evidence-informed policy options, and we needed to be prepared to respectfully but convincingly counter arguments from the electronic cigarette industry and “vaping” advocates. A key lesson was that it took more than one of us to deliver compelling testimony to our city council! Based on our experience, we suggest getting involved in policy advocacy through participating in local coalitions or networks that are active in policy work. As public health professionals, we bring skills to a coalition and can provide additional support to advocate for policies that promote health equity. To build these skills and to be able to influence policy to promote health equity, take advantage of resources offered through the Society for Public Health Education and other professional organizations. Some of our favorite organizations and resources are provided in Table 1. Check them out, get involved, and Collaborate, Communicate, and Advocate!
City of El Paso. (2014). Ordinance amending public and workplace smoking restrictions. Retrieved from http://www.elpasotexas. gov/muni_clerk/_documents/Smoking%20-%20Public%20and %20Workplace%20Restrictions.pdf#view=fitH
References
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian Housing. (2012, May 29). Non-smoking policies in public housing (Notice: PIH 2012-25). Retrieved from http:// portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=pih2012-25. pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Best practices for comprehensive tobacco control programs-2007. Atlanta, GA: Author.
Hernandez, K., Bejarano, S., Reyes, F., Chavez, M., & Mata, H. (2013). Experience preferred: Insights from our newest public health professionals on how internships/practicums promote career development. Health Promotion Practice, 15, 95-99. Mata, H., Flores, M., Castañeda, E., Medina-Jerez, W., Lachica, J., Smith, C., & Olvera, H. (2013). Health, hope, and human development: Building capacity in public housing communities on the U.S.–Mexico border. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24, 1432-1439. National Commission for Health Education and Credentialing. (2014). Responsibilities and competencies for health education specialists. Retrieved from http://www.nchec.org/credentialing/ responsibilities/ Taylor, T., Cooper, T., Hernandez, N., Kelly, M., Law, J., & Colwell, B. (2012). A Smoke-Free Paso del Norte: Impact over 10 years on smoking prevalence using the behavioral risk factor surveillance system. American Journal of Public Health, 102, 899-908. The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014). Nursing students help community residents kick the habit. Retrieved from http://news. utep.edu/?p=25795
Garcia et al. / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH POLICY ADVOCACY 165
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