The Rev. Lerrill White provides a working definition of advocacy in the context of professional chaplaincy.

Advocacy: Defining Terms

According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, an advocate is “a person who pleads another’s cause” or “a person who speaks or writes in support of something.” I mention this because back in February, when we began the Advocacy Column, we failed to define our terms. I will take responsibility for that and will make a good faith effort to provide all of us with a common language at this juncture in our evolution.

I would like to quote liberally from an essay titled “Reflections on Advocacy” written by David Cohen of the Advocacy Institute (www.advocacy.org/definition.htm). He is wrestling to create a working definition of advocacy, and this is what he offers: “Advocacy is pursuit of influencing outcomes — including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and situations — that directly affect people’s lives.

“Advocacy consists of organized efforts and actions based on the reality of ‘what is.’ These organized actions seek to highlight critical issues that have been ignored and submerged, to influence public attitudes, and to enact and implement laws and public policies so that visions of ‘what should be’ in a just, decent society become a reality. Human rights — political, economic, and social — are an overarching framework for these visions. Advocacy organizations draw their strength from and are accountable to people — their members, constituents, and/or members of affected groups.”

“Advocacy has purposeful results: to enable social justice advocates to gain access and voice in the decision making of relevant institutions; to change the power relationships between these institutions and the people affected by their decisions, thereby changing the institutions themselves; and to bring a clear improvement in people’s lives.”

It seems to me that these are prophetic words, not only for advocacy organizations, but also for our profession. This particular “moment in chaplaincy” is the ideal time for advocacy. We have always conceived of our ministries as including advocacy for our patients, families, and staff within our institutions, but it is time for us to begin to envision our advocacy as extending well beyond the walls of our institutions. We must learn to advocate on behalf of not only our clientele, but also on behalf of ourselves and the profession of chaplaincy. As our profession becomes more clearly defined by universal standards, board certification, and multifaith collaboration, we have greater opportunity to advocate for ourselves as clinicians and invaluable members of our institutions. The Advocacy section of PlainViews endeavors to keep chaplains abreast of current advocacy efforts and future possibilities. We have spent our lives helping others find their voices, now we must help ourselves find our own.

Do you have thoughts about advocacy you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail to info@PlainViews.org.