Community Advocate

Because advocacy is not a credentialed profession, parents are often faced with confusion when deciding who to hire. It is usually helpful to start by asking for recommendations from specialists (independent evaluators or clinicians) who know their child’s needs. As in selecting an independent evaluator, it is wise to choose an advocate who is experienced in helping families whose children struggle with similar disabilities. It can be helpful to speak with two or three advocates to compare. I believe it is critical to choose someone with whom a parent feels “simpatico”, someone you feel you can trust to give you honest, compassionate and thoughtful advice, even if its advice you’d rather not have to hear. Other resources for advocacy are the Special Needs Advocacy Network (SPAN) and the Federation for Children with Special Needs.

Again, an easy question to ask that can be a minefield for the unprepared. It doesn’t really matter how you respond to this, as long as the courses you offer have a reasonable relationship to the job you’re interviewing for. If you’re interviewing at a small law firm that only does civil cases, it’s suspicious if all of your favorite courses are criminal law and procedure. Perhaps you’re just interviewing here because you can’t get the job you really want? (Which may be true, but isn’t the best impression to convey!) Before the interview, look over your transcript and think about what classes are most related to the work you’d be doing in the role you’re interviewing for. Easy — those are your favorite classes!

We take progressive opposition that attempts to divide us up by creating divisive narratives that focus on our differences, and we flip it on its head. We must strategically utilize empathy and intersectionality to transform our diversity into a strength. When we dedicate our energy to identifying commonalities while respecting our differences, we can galvanize our base. To accomplish this, we need leaders that not only communicate the importance of common ground, but model it as well.

Intersectionality means that, as progressives, we must recognize that once we better acknowledge the differences among us, the better we will understand how to empower the diverse subgroups within our movement. Once this occurs, our opposition cannot marginalize our efforts, because each and every fight includes a diverse base bringing with them the multiple perspectives and skills needed to create systemic change. Once we fight just as hard for each other as we do for our singular issues, all issues progressives are fighting for will be addressed and changed.

My rule of thumb is that if a parent is worried about their child, they should consult with their child’s doctor and teachers to determine whether a more thorough evaluation would be helpful. If a parent requests a special education evaluation, the school district is required to provide them with a Consent to Evaluate form. Once the consent form is signed, the district has 30 school days to conduct the evaluations in any and all areas of suspected need and to convene a Team meeting to determine eligibility. Within 45 school days of the signing of the consent form, the Team has to provide the parent either with an IEP or a Notice of Refusal to Act (i.e. denial of eligibility). Parents can then accept or reject (in whole or in part) the IEP as proposed. They can also reject the denial of eligibility. Upon receipt of a rejection of any sort, the district is required to notify the state within five days and parents can avail themselves of the Bureau of Special Education Appeals dispute resolution options and resources.

Every advocate approaches the work differently and has their own area of specialization, based on their background and areas of expertise. Some advocates are also lawyers; some advocates are also evaluators; some are parents of children with special needs and others are former educators or administrators.

I see my role as building bridges of communication on behalf of students who struggle with severe psychological distress, a category of disability which is not a school district’s area of expertise. I help parents engage in productive dialogue with school staff (as well as other agencies) using the documentation and experts involved in their child’s treatment as a “launching pad.” My familiarity with the clinical, educational, and regulatory worlds which informs these negotiations enables me to help parents make informed decisions about getting their children the services they need.

I strive to make this a speedy and stress-free process for parent’s already worried sick about their child, but it is rarely either. If nothing else, I can help parents pick and choose their battles, process their options, and share their anxiety so that discussions with school and agency personnel is more predictable and productive.

In evaluating a student’s special needs, a school district first assesses a student’s academic skills including the ability to read, write and compute. These are areas in which the district has primary expertise and can legitimately diagnose a disability. Schools are not, however, able to diagnose mental illness. This is the express responsibility of clinicians with specialized training and credentials, experience and expertise. This makes advocacy for students with emotional problems considerably easier because the diagnosis of the problem and the expertise regarding interventions begins outside the school district’s purview. It is rare that a school district disputes a psychiatrist’s diagnosis. School districts are prohibited from opining regarding a student’s medications.

Attorneys specialize in preparing cases for formal appeal proceedings before a hearing officer. This is a process which can be exceedingly costly, acrimonious, and time consuming. It is not something that either parents or attorneys enter without very careful consideration of alternative means of dispute resolution. It can useful to consult with an attorney whenever it appears that a dispute is unresolvable. A wise and careful attorney will help a parent assess all the strengths and weakness of their case and may suggest strategies for resolving disputes with an advocate’s assistance.Of the thousands of IEP rejections received by the state annually, barely 50 cases end up in formal appeals. The odds for settlement are good when parents have expert assistance.

☛ Patient care requires a strong amount of compassion. Do you consider yourself a compassionate person?

☛ At Advocate Health Care we seek to hire individuals who display a keen interest in the healthcare arena. Would you consider yourself dedicated to a career in healthcare services?

☛ In the healthcare services industry there are many emotions in a day. Have your emotions ever been in the way of your productivity?

☛ Tell me about your healthcare related education and training.

☛ At Advocate Health Care we take pride in our great relationships with clients, vendors, coworkers, and patients. Do you consider yourself to be a strong relationship builder?

☛ What is your patient care philosophy?

☛ In order to work for Advocate Health Care, you must be able to pass a full criminal background check. Do you consent to a full background check?

☛ Healthcare service companies require strong organizational skills and attention to detail. How do you ensure that your work is properly organized, and highly accurate?

☛ If you could expand your knowledge and expertise in any area of healthcare services, which would you choose?

☛ It is often said that a career in healthcare is a 'thankless job'. How can we keep you motivated and engaged, even on the days when you feel your work goes unnoticed?

☛ Have you ever been involved in ordering medical supplies, maintaining inventory, or other types of health care related administrative duties?

☛ At Advocate Health Care we seek to hire individuals who have ambitions of growing their career. Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

☛ Advocate Health Care seeks to hire those with strong problem solving skills. When were you able to successfully resolve a problem in the workplace?

☛ When have you shown a willingness to learn a new method or new approach to solving a problem?

☛ How would you describe your personality?

☛ Advocate Health Care has a diverse workforce. When have you worked amongst a diverse group of people?

☛ Do you prefer to work in a team based position or individually?

☛ Advocate Health Care supports a healthy work/life balance for all employees. How do you balance life and work?

☛ Tell me about yourself.

☛ What part of your healthcare career brings you the most stress?

☛ If you could expand your knowledge and expertise in any healthcare service area, which would you choose?

☛ If Advocate Health Care hired you today, what would you accomplish first?

☛ Think about a difficult boss, professor or coworker. What made him or her difficult? How did you successfully interact with this person?

☛ With the ongoing changes in the healthcare services industry, how do you keep your knowledge current?

☛ What type of work environment do you dislike working in?

☛ In your opinion, what makes you a great problem solver?

☛ Rate your problem solving skills from 1-10. How do you justify your rating?

☛ What is your greatest weakness?

☛ Why do you think you will be successful in this role with Advocate Health Care?

☛ Do you think it is possible to be a good team member, yet disagree with the leader?

☛ Advocate Health Care was initially looking for someone with 5 years' experience in a similar role. Considering you have just 2 years' experience, would you be willing to accept this position at a lower salary?