Individualized Advocacy Project (IAP) from Florida LEND

Many trainees tend to be focused on clinical aspects when first starting out on their IAP. They don't have the background knowledge and/or exposure to systems-level change. To help broaden trainees' perspective, Mailman Center has hired a public health instructor to show trainees different frameworks and ways to create a systems level change. They have implemented an advocacy module and guide that provides background.

An Individualized Advocacy Project (IAP) is when a trainee works with a faculty mentor to create an advocacy project that lasts for four weeks. Prior to starting their IAP, trainees complete an advocacy online module that's available on their BlackBoard. The advocacy module helps broaden trainees' perspective on the level of impact/change they can have on their community. An example from their module is attached (pyramid picture) that helps trainees recognize the magnitude of their impact. The IAP provides individual trainees with the opportunity to plan a systems-of-care based advocacy project that translates clinical issues into population health questions. The IAP introduces each trainee to community needs assessment, public policy formulation and implementation, legislation/rule making, financing of health care, program administration, community consultation, and program planning and evaluation. All LEND long-term trainees (LTTs) and medium-term trainees (MTTs) must identify a critical child health issue related to disability and special health care needs (e.g. obesity, access to special education services) that is especially important to them. Under the guidance of designated LEND faculty, trainees define a specific intervention (e.g. improve quality of snacks offered to children with disabilities in a child care setting). The trainee meets with a faculty member with expertise in the selected topic and with a representative of a community-based organization that addresses the selected topic. MTTs complete the plan and present a formal description to faculty and trainees of why their issue is important and their plan to address it. LTTs do similar presentations and take concrete steps towards implementing the IAP.

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