How To Be an Advocate

Do you want to help to improve services for youth with mental illness, but aren't sure how to start?

Do you want to develop the skills to be a voice for your patients and your profession?

AACAP develops tools and trainings for members looking to hone their advocacy skills and get involved. Download our advocacy tools and training materials, and listen to our webinars below.

Advocacy Webinars
Check out AACAP's series of advocacy webinars, which provide online training to help develop the advocacy knowledge and skills that are critical to a child and adolescent psychiatrist's professional practice.Click here to listen to past webinars. More topics coming soon!

Advocacy Training Presentations
AACAP regularly provides web-based advocacy training for AACAP Regional Organizations and psychiatry training programs. If you are interested in organizing a training, please contact gov@aacap.org. To view and download slides from past trainings, please click here. (member log-in required)

Grassroots Advocacy Tools
A key component of AACAP's approach to advocacy is the strength of our grassroots network. Use the resources below to improve your advocacy at the state and local levels.

• AACAP State Advocacy Manual
  This manual is intended to help AACAP members get involved in advocacy in their states and communities.

• State Advocacy Toolkit
  Developed in partnership with a national coalition of parents, educators, mental health professionals, and physicians, this toolkit aims to help you educate state lawmakers about children's mental health in America.

• Understanding Your State Legislator
  Written by James MacIntyre, M.D., this article provides practical tips to help you better understand your state legislators and guidelines on effective communication.

• Advocating for Children and Adolescents with Mental Illnesses
  This article, published in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, discusses ways in which child and adolescent psychiatrists can engage in advocacy on behalf of their patients and their profession.

• Organizing Forums on Children's Health
  This tool is intended to help AACAP Regional Organizations organize and implement forums to raise awareness of children's mental health issues in their states.

AACAP Trainee Advocate Program
The Trainee Advocate Program (TAP) is designed to facilitate and support AACAP trainee members to get involved in mental health advocacy early in their careers. Click here for more information and to get started!




Online Resources:

Canabis:

Ontario put together a website and pamphlets for providers, families and patients on cannabis ahead of legalization:

• http://mycannabisiq.ca/

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Marijuana caused more damage to teens' brains than alcohol, study finds
USA Today
Joel Shannon
 
Marijuana use may pose a greater risk to the developing brains of teenagers than alcohol consumption, according to a new study this week.
 
The analysis, published Wednesday in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found that cannabis had greater short and long-term consequences than alcohol on four key components of teens' memory. The finding greatly surprised researchers.
 
Check out AACAP's Facts for Families: Marijuana and Teens.