Public Health Advocacy: Forming and Building Coalitions

Although individuals and organizations can advocate on their own, coalitions are particularly effective for public health advocacy. A coalition can include healthcare organizations, public and private sector agencies, for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, grassroots groups, academics, researchers, faith-based organizations, health departments, and health and social justice organizations. A coalition may have several different types of goals/missions, but overall, each aims to come together to agree on a solution to a specific problem that affects their constituents or members and overall improve aspects that affect health outcomes.

For instance, the San Diego Tobacco Control Coalition mission is to improve and protect the health of San Diegans by promoting smoke/tobacco-free lifestyles and environments. This coalition will pursue support of policies that align with improving tobacco-free lifestyles, environments and lastly those that make the default choice the healthier choice.

This discussion activity will focus on coalitions. Students will be asked to read and identify aspects of the advocacy process that coalitions participate in. Next, students will select a coalition from a prescribed list to research, identify, and describe in order to better understand function and structure.

Step 1: Review Chapter 17 of your textbook: “Advocacy”, pps. 335-346 and the corresponding chapter PowerPoint. The following sections will clarify key components of what coalitions are and how they address advocacy issues:

a. Who Can Advocate?

b. Form a Coalition and Table 17.2

c. Begin “Ground Softening”

d. Determine Who Has the Power to Make the Change Sought

e. Understand the Opposition and box 17.3

f. Outline a Set of Possible Solutions

Step 2: Using the textbook, write 1-2 paragraphs describing coalitions in general:

1. What is a coalition and what members can it include/be made up of?

2. Why is including a variety of members in a coalition important?

3. What tool can be used to identify coalition members?

4. What is ground-softening and why is it needed?

Step 3: Research three of the coalitions identified in the links below:

Contra Costa Tobacco Prevention Coalition Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Imperial County

Nevada Tobacco Control Prevention Coalition National Low Income Housing Coalition

Healthy Out of School Time Coalition Big Cities Health Coalition

St. Mary’s County Community Alcohol Coalition Phys Ed 4 All

Southern AIDS Coalition Lee County Injury Prevention Coalition

End Violence Against Women UK Coalition VALOR US (Formerly CA Coalition Against Sexual Assault)

Step 4: Looking at the coalition you selected from the link above summarize key aspects of the coalition you selected (2-3 paragraphs):

1. What is the mission & goals of the coalition?

2. List 4-5 members of the coalition

3. Brief description (1-2 sentences) of the public health problem the coalition is focusing on

4. Review the coalition web page and tell your colleagues about what entities (organizations, policymakers, government, industry, individuals) could be considered “the opposition”? This may/may not be apparent on the web page, if not, be creative an think about what is feasible.

5. Identify what could be a potential policy solution to the public health problem the coalition identifies and why (1-2 sentences).

6. Include a screen shot of the coalition web page and a web link

Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers

Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.

Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS

Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?

Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.

We write plagiarism Free Content

Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.

Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.