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Robert A. Goodman, MSW

A Life of Advocacy

Introduction

While this is an autobiography focusing on my advocacy

efforts, I also intend for this to be a learning tool about advocacy.

There are descriptions of different kinds of advocacy using

examples from my life. I have included several appendices that go

into more detail about different types of advocacy.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank my wife, Francine Cappell for her tireless efforts in

editing and improving this document.

In 1956 I was a four-year old toddler transported from

Bayshore, Long Island, New York to South Florida. Little did no

one knew what an impact I would have on legislation and day to

day quality of life issues as I grew up into a concerned and

informed citizen.

Ever since my childhood I have been concerned with the

needs of others, economically, socially, and politically. Some of

my first experiences included involvement in political campaigns

and other advocacy efforts at age 11. My travels across the

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United States, Canada, Mexico, Israel and Europe has given me

a new perspective of the world and broadened my horizons.

You are involved in politics from the moment you wake up

until the moment you go to sleep. The utilities you use, the roads

you travel on, the taxes you pay, and the programs and services

used by you and others are all controlled by elected or appointed

government officials.1 (Robert Goodman, 2002) If you are not

satisfied with any of these items you must become an advocate

for change.

The dictionary defines advocacy as public support for or

recommendation of a particular cause or policy. The Alliance for

Justice (www.allianceforjustice.org) defines advocacy as any

action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause,

supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.

Anyone can be an advocate who is willing to:

Speak up

Help others get benefits to which they are entitled

Challenge government systems when they don’t work

Work for laws, budgets and policies that do work

Be a voice for others with policy makers2 (Robert

Goodman, 2002)

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When you see something that is wrong you have to speak

up and do something about it and get others involved in your

issue. One can be an advocate at any age,

There are many ways to be an advocate. The Alliance for

Justice lists several different ways to get involved in your

community or organization. They include:

o Organizing,

o Educating Legislators,

o Educating the Public about the Legislative Process,

o Research: Produce relevant resources that reflect the

real story of your community,

o Organizing a rally,

o Regulatory efforts: Take action at the agencies,

o Public education: Educate the community on the

issues,

o Nonpartisan voter education,

o Nonpartisan voter mobilization,

o Training: training sessions that teach successful

strategies and skills for direct action by organizing on

issues,

o Litigation

o lobbying.3 (Justice, n.d.) https://mffh.org/wordpress/wp-

content/uploads/2016/04/AFJ_what-is-advocacy.pdf

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My first recognition of the need for advocacy was at age 11,

while a student at Biscayne Gardens Elementary School, when I

saw the state government tearing down the homes and night

clubs in an African-American neighborhood in front of my fifth-

grade classroom. I could not understand why they were

destroying people’s homes to build a highway (I-95). More on this

later.

You might also be advocating for a cause. As teenagers my

brothers, sister and I sponsored a Muscular Dystrophy carnival in

my backyard to raise money for that organization. Not only did the

Mayor of North Miami Beach attend, but the poster child for that

year made an appearance.

In the 1960’s I was very active in the United Synagogue

Youth. I served as social action chair and Soviet Jewry chair for

our chapter and for the southeast region. Part of my role was to

plan activities to help meet the needs of our community. I also

planned rallies to support the efforts of Soviet Jews to leave the

USSR. We helped get them various religious articles. We also

held fund raising events to help promote our activities. My tireless

efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry resulted in my receiving the Phil

Pill Memorial Award.

At age 14, I was a volunteer for Head Start which is a pre-

school program which promotes school readiness of children

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ages birth to five from low-income families by supporting the

development of the whole child. While volunteering, I successfully

mediated and prevented a racial incident between a white and a

black student. The older brother of the black student came looking

for a fight. I was not able to understand why people could not live

together as friends and why people were prejudiced. It made no

sense to me. I was determined not to engage in bigotry.

As a Jewish person with a disability, I have often

encountered prejudice. Some prejudice is based on ignorance.

While in summer camp at the Florida School for the Deaf and

Blind a fellow camper who was totally blind asked if it was true

that Jews had horns. I let her feel my head to show her that myth

was untrue. Another example was the Kenilworth Hotel, owned by

Arthur Godfrey, in Miami Beach that did not allow Jews or blacks.

(www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-

beach/article1977826.html)

These experiences along with my religious values helped me

become more determined to fight social injustice and started me

on the road to social activism and advocacy.

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Community Organizing

In North Miami Beach we lived on a dangerous curve. Cars

would invariably end up crashing on people’s lawns or into homes

when taking the curve too fast. I recognized an important safety

issue and distributed a petition to city officials to fix the problem.

As a result of my efforts the city improved the lines on the

road, put reflectors on the curved part of the street and eventually

changed the speed limit and installed a “dangerous curve” sign. It

took a lot of work and energy but end result was worth it.

Advocacy steps:

1. Identify the problem

a. Dangerous curve

2. Take photos, gather statistics and any relevant facts

a. How many lawns or homes were damaged?

3. Determine who is responsible for fixing the problem

a. Either North Miami Beach or Miami-Dade County

Department of Transportation

4. Write a petition describing the problem and what needs to be

done

a. Cars are coming around the curve at high speeds and

running over lawns and hitting some homes

5. Circulate the petition, discuss the issue with your neighbors

6. Send the petition to the appropriate agency and elected officials

and ask for a meeting

7. Speak about the issue at a commission or other appropriate

meeting

8. Follow up with officials, let them know if the problem is solved. If it is resolved remember to thank them.

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I was introduced to politics when Arthur Snyder, a close

friend of the family, ran for Mayor of North Miami Beach in 1963 (I

was only11 years old) I helped distribute campaign literature. In

1966 I worked on the candidacy of Miami Mayor Robert King High

who was running for Florida Governor. In 1968 I was state Youth

Chairman for the Leroy Collins for US Senate campaign. In 1984 I

helped write policy statements for Gary Hart, a presidential

candidate, on issues of concern to seniors. In 1972 I managed the

north Florida college campaign for presidential candidate Senator

Henry “Scoop” Jackson. In 1974, while a student at FSU, I helped

coordinate the US Senate campaign for Richard Stone. I was also

the campaign manager for Lloyd Edelstein, a city commission

candidate in Hollywood, Florida. I got involved in many of these

campaigns by simply walking into their headquarters and telling

them what I can offer them and asked if I can help.

As you can see there are many ways to get involved in

campaigns and influence policies. When a candidate comes to

your community ask questions about issues that are of concern to

you. Sponsor candidate forums where you can pose questions to

the candidates. Attend Town Hall Meetings.

One day while coming home from City Hall, after

interviewing the Chief of the Fire Department I was hit by a car.

When the paramedics arrived, they were surprised to see me

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laying on the ground. I was taken by ambulance to Parkway

Hospital, passing the Coney Island restaurant where my family

was eating. As the ambulance passed by, my mother said “I

wonder if Robert got home safely?”

Growing up in North Miami Beach we had only one

newspaper. The Citizen Hub lacked news coverage and was quite

conservative. Mark Greenspan and I started the North Miami

Beach Locality, a newsletter that covered city hall news and other

local events. One event was a tornado that went through our

neighborhood. I covered this story in a wheelchair. This resulted

in receiving a key to the City of North Miami Beach for my efforts

in promoting local news and being interviewed on Channel 10.

The North Miami Beach Locality was produced in my home

using the old-fashioned ditto machine.

In 1968 and 1969 I participated in the Optimist Club

Oratorical Contest and placed second in both years. I was very

active in the Norland Senior High School debate club. One debate

topic was the effectiveness of the United Nations. I advocated for

the position that the UN was not a friend of Israel or the United

States.

Regulatory Advocacy

There are many issues which stem from regulations that

need to be created, changed or repealed. There was a

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supermarket in Miami Beach that in order to prevent the theft of

shopping carts placed immovable iron posts which blocked the

entrance. People in wheelchairs and babies in carriages were

denied access. Several consumers in wheelchairs made me

aware of this problem. I spoke to the state Fire Marshall and

pointed out the safety issue in case of a fire. We also mentioned

accessibility. As a result, the state Fire Marshall ordered the poles

removed.

While a student at Florida State University (FSU), I was

looking for a profession that combined my interests in education,

politics, social welfare, and journalism. I was able to combine all

these interests in the field of social work.

While studying for my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, I

stumbled upon and fell into an unmarked construction site.

Several students made me aware of other safety issues on

campus for students with disabilities.

I along with Gail Stamps, Victor Brown and Carla Stich

approached the administration and said if you are going to admit

students with disabilities then the university had to accommodate

their needs. We conducted an accessibility survey that identified

areas that needed improvement.

As the Secretary of Student Affairs for the student

government cabinet I was able to get the Student Council

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involved. We met with university officials to make them aware of

our concerns. To demonstrate the challenges faced by students

with disabilities we took our University President Stanley Marshall

and other officials for a campus tour in a wheelchair and

blindfolded some of them. We showed them how difficult things

were for students with disabilities.

Our accomplishments included ramps, curb cuts, changing

mailboxes from a combination lock to a key lock for our visually

impaired students, and getting large print and braille publications,

including Playboy (no pictures) into our library. We also set up a

reader and volunteer service.

I lobbied the legislature on the need for funds to make the

campus safer for students with disabilities. The result was a

$200,000 appropriation in the state budget. In three short years,

we worked together to make FSU 70% accessible in three years.

My work resulted in the creation of a Disabled Students Program,

as part of the Office of Minority Student Affairs. Dr. Bill Gamble

and Dr. Freddie Groomes helped us make contacts within the

university and supported our efforts. Now it is an independent

department in the University.

In 2012 Gail and I were invited back to celebrate the 40th

anniversary of the establishment of the Disabled Students

Program. We presented a workshop on the history of the program

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and met with the current staff to discuss some of their issues on

campus.

While a student at FSU I was also the state legislative chair

for the Florida Council of Handicapped Organizations (FCHO).

We worked successfully to get legislation passed that help

improved the lives of people with disabilities. We provided

information to legislators and testified before committees. The

FCHO also published a newspaper which highlighted many of the

needs of people with disabilities.

One issue in which we succeeded was lobbying to have the

Bureau of Blind Services upgraded to a division. We also

successfully advocated for a change in the staffing of the Bureau

of Blind Services at FSU. We were pleased to welcome a

simpatico counselor to represent the student’s needs.

My work at FSU resulted in the Golden Key International

Honour Society at FSU selected me to be member. The Society

emphasizes community service as well as peer networking and

leadership opportunities.

(https://nolecentral.dsa.fsu.edu/organization/goldenkeyinternation

alhonoursociety). I was also presented with an award by

President Stanley Marshall for my efforts on behalf of students

with disabilities.

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One issue I fought for tenaciously was to get consumer

representation on the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind Board

of Trustees. Senator Verle Pope, who represented St. Augustine,

worked very hard against my efforts. We lost the in 1972. He died

in 1973. In 1974 we went back to the legislature and said the late

Senator was a person who really cared about people with

disabilities. We finally won. Today there is a person who has a

visual impairment and one who has a hearing impairment on the

Board of Trustees. The lesson: Don’t give up too easily.

Is there an issue or a policy for which you would like to

advocate?

What is the issue?

Who might support your cause?

Who might oppose it and why?

What strategy is needed to accomplish your goal?

Educating Elected Officials

Sometimes personal issues become state law. At age 18 I

could not cash a check since I did not have a driver’s license (I

am legally blind) or a credit card. I spoke to Representative John

Savage and Senator Bruce Smathers about this problem. Their

staffs researched how other states resolved this issue. As a

result, in 1973 Florida created the non-driver’s identification card

(SB 1086) based on a law in Maryland was created in 1973. The

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law was good for people with disabilities as well as young non-

drivers. I heard a lecture by a person working for the Department

of Motor Vehicles who said that the non-drivers ID card has saved

lives by giving people who had to give up driving an alternative to

keeping a driver’s license for identification.

While a summer student in 1973 at Miami-Dade Community

College I conducted an accessibility survey which resulted in

improvements for students with disabilities at that institution as

well.

Volunteer in a state organization or in a local non-profit that

addresses community problems. Become a voice on that subject.

I was appointed to the Governor’s Committee on Employment of

the Handicapped by Florida Governor Reuben Askew. We

developed public relations campaigns to promote the hiring of

people with disabilities.

Join AmeriCorp (www.nationalservice.gov) and become a

VISTA volunteer. In 1976 I served as a VISTA (Volunteers in

Service to America) volunteer in Columbia, South Carolina. As

part of my responsibilities I developed a resource guide on

community services for the poor in four county area and an

accessibility guide for persons with disabilities. We operated a

food pantry and did home repairs. We helped seniors apply for

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government services and benefits. We were warmly received by

the community.

In 1978 I moved to New York and while in Yeshiva

volunteered in several organizations. Some of the work we did

included a food stamp campaign, a survey of the needs of seniors

in Far Rockaway.

In 1984 I was invited by Rabbi Martin Schloss, Director of

the Jewish Board of Education in New York, to chair the first

workshop for educators entitled “Visual Impairment: Sensitivity

and Adaptations for the Classroom”. This focused on the needs of

the blind and visually impaired students in Jewish education in

New York.

This topic resonated strongly for me because as a student

preparing for my Bar Mitzvah in 1964. I was unable to locally

acquire materials in Hebrew. Only the Jewish Braille Institute

could provide a large print haftorah and I had to fly to New York to

obtain it.

Educating the Public

There are many ways to air concerns, including through

meetings, newsletters, and workshops for the public, co-workers

and colleagues. Learn what needs there are in your community

and advocate for solutions to those problems.

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While living in New York I worked for the Center for

Independent Living. I was the managing editor of Alternatives, a

monthly national advocacy newspaper for people with disabilities.

The newspaper enabled us to explore issues in depth and show

how various policies affected our consumers. One issue we

explored was closed captioning, which the NBC said would be too

expensive due to a “lack of interest” …by the “potential audience”.

(Alternatives, March April 1982) Today, the networks are making

money off the use of closed captioning.

Educating Elected Officials

There are many ways to educate your elected officials.

Position papers, fact sheets, newsletters, personal meetings and

lobbying are just some of the ways to engage with your elected

officials. If you have an expertise on a particular subject you may

have the opportunity to work closely with an official on a particular

issue. Working for an elected official doesn’t hurt either. In 1980 I

worked for New York State Senator Donald Halperin as his

community affairs liaison. I made him aware of many issues of

concern to older adults and people with disabilities such as the

need for accessible buses and subways. I also provided technical

support and assistance in organizing block and tenant

associations. Other duties included helping Senator Halperin form

a coalition in the Shorefront area of Brooklyn to identify problems

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faced by the newly arriving Russian community and help integrate

them into the community.

Community Organizing and Training

While working for the Joint Public Affairs Committee for

Older Adults in New York I organized social action committees

and programs in senior centers. We provided training sessions

that taught successful strategies and skills to effectively advocate

for issues of concern to seniors. These sessions included learning

about the legislative process and how to contact elected officials.

We organized letter writing campaigns, legislative and candidate

forums on various issues and held rallies to promote our causes.

As the union shop steward for the Brooklyn JASA staff I

worked to advocate for the specific needs of our employees. We

were allowed to leave two hours early before Shabbat on Fridays

or before holidays. When I approached the union representative

and asked that he include this perk permanently in our demands,

our request was rebuked. While sitting at the negotiating table I

brought it up over the union’s objections. We won and retained

that benefit.

Organizing a Rally to Maximize Support

In 1988 I coordinated the SSI Advocacy Group rally in

Albany New York to increase the state share of the federal

Supplemental Security Income program. We won. My advocacy

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efforts brought me recognition when I was named an

“Outstanding Young Man in America” in 1989.

Litigation is another form of advocacy. Sometimes lawsuits

are necessary to get government or businesses to respond and

act upon an issue. I would include representing consumers as an

advocate before housing court hearings and Medicaid and Food

Stamps administrative appeals.

Community Organizing

As a tenant organizer in Brooklyn I (and now Senator) Chuck

Schumer successfully mediated landlord-tenant disputes. My

efforts often included going to housing court as an advocate for

tenants who were being mistreated by landlords. Attorneys tried

to say I was practicing law without a license to get rid of me, but

their efforts failed. Everyone has a right to have someone help

them in any adversarial situation. We organized many tenant

associations in Brooklyn.

While working for the Jewish Association for Services for the

Aged I handled many Medicaid and Food Stamp appeals. I never

lost a fair hearing. I found that agency employees often forgot to

document work with clients of failed to include information or

copies of forms. I also handled a few Social Security appeals as

an advocate. I learned that you have to carefully document every

aspect of someone’s disability.

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Educating Elected Officials and Research

While working at JASA I developed an expertise on topics of

concern to seniors. Congressman Chuck Schumer asked me to

advise him on senior issues. My research on health care involved

exploring how other countries provided health.

When your state representative, senator, or

congressmember is in your community request an appointment.

You may have to meet with a staff person. Attend town hall

meetings.

Candidates may come to you to learn about your issues.

When now Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was

running for the state senate, she came to the Broward Center for

Independent Living, where I worked, and asked us to inform and

educate her about topics of concern to us.

Educating the Public

Educating members of organizations about issues that are

important to them is another type of advocacy. For example, in

the 1980s many synagogues and educational programs were not

accessible to people with disabilities (and many still aren’t). I

became a member of the New York Jewish Federation Medical

Ethics Committee and worked with religious and community

leaders to address this inequity.

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Martin Krossel and I started the movement to improve

access to people in the Orthodox community. Martin invited me to

be the keynote speaker at a conference on disability rights in

Toronto. The Disabled Activists for Accessibility and Services and

the Jewish Organization for Disabled Adults was created to

advocate for people with disabilities in the Jewish community. I

have given presentations in synagogues in Florida and New York

on promoting access to people with disabilities.

As a Master’s Degree student at Hunter College School of

Social Work I had a placement as a community organizer and

program administrator. I became the Director of Project Help, a

volunteer program which provided telephone reassurance calls

and friendly visiting to several hundred homebound seniors in

Brooklyn.

With a grant from New York State Office of Mental

Retardation and Developmental Disabilities I became director of

the JASA Outreach to Developmentally Disabled Older Adults. It

was a program to mainstream people with developmental

disabilities into community based senior centers. I had to

advocate to allow older adults with developmental disabilities to

retire from sheltered employment and attend programs in their

communities. I was successful in helping twelve older adults retire

from sheltered workshops. One of the seniors became a volunteer

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coordinator in her senior center. This woman was rescued from a

mental health facility by a nurse who advocated on her behalf.

Her parents placed her there when she was born with cerebral

palsy. Another senior thrived as a successful artist.

Educational Conferences

My advocacy efforts at JASA included developing a

conference on aging and disability. The “Wit to Win” conference

brought together professionals in the developmental disabilities

and aging communities to discuss how to meet the needs of older

adults with developmental disabilities and integrate them into the

community. Another educational conference was held in 1992

where I was on a panel discussing “How to Assess and Modify

the Environment for Older Persons with a Disability”.

While working at JASA I helped facilitate the creation of the

Disabled Elderly Advocates of New York, a coalition of agencies

working with these two populations. We held a legislative

conference in 1988. We had elected officials, consumers,

caregivers, and providers in attendance.

In 1991 I spoke at a conference sponsored by the

Committee on Issues in Retirement sponsored by State Society

on Aging of New York. My topic was “Enhancing the Integration of

Older Adults with Disabilities.

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My office was in Canarsie where I provided casework

services to seniors. In that capacity I helped organize and spoke

at a “Senior Rights and Benefits” conference. Speakers included

various elected officials who spoke about the legislative process

and programs for seniors. I also presented an update on

Medicare at the Brooklyn public library in Canarsie.

In 1993 I accepted a position as Director of the Forest Hills

Community House. While in that position I brought in many

elected officials to provide legislative updates. I also edited

Centerscope, the center newsletter. I wrote articles about

legislation, effectively interacting with someone with a disability

and community happenings. I conducted a workshop on

mainstreaming older adults with developmental disabilities into

senior centers for the Council of Senior Centers and Services in

New York.

Client Advocacy

When I returned to Florida in 1994, I worked for the Broward

Lighthouse for the Blind as a job developer. I had to advocate for

the employment of people with visual disabilities. I successfully

placed a number of clients. Convincing potential employers that

with proper accommodation people with visual disabilities could

perform their assigned job tasks was a challenge. I organized a

job fair and workshop on employment of people with disabilities.

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I maintained my interest in the field of aging and disability.

On two occasions the Broward Area Agency on Aging invited me

to present workshops on “Mainstreaming Older Adults with

Developmental Disabilities” and “Living and Aging with a

Disability” at their annual conferences. My roles included chairing

the conference planning committee and presenting on

“Developing Effective Training Programs”. In 2006 I chaired a

major conference and resource fair on living and aging with a

disability. The Home Health Corporation of America and

Alternative Home Health Care invited me to present a workshop

on aging to their home care staff.

Human Trafficking is a major problem in Florida and

throughout the country. The Broward County Human Trafficking

Working Group sponsored a conference for first responders. My

presentation was about community resources. I produced a

human trafficking resource guide for the conference.

After passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990

there was a great need for educating the public, businesses, and

social service agencies and government officials about this new

law. In April 1995 the Lighthouse for the Blind and the Broward

County Library co-sponsored an all-day conference entitled “The

Americans with Disabilities Act: It’s the Law”.

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Educational conferences are another way to educate an

organization’s members about social policy and relevant issues.

Starting in 1996 I began to be invited to present workshops

for several organizations at their annual conferences, including

The Association of Non-Profit Organizations, The National

Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter, The Society for

Social Work Leaders in Health Care, Florida Chapter and

Coalition for Optimal Mental Health and Aging. Workshop topics

included:

“Working in the Health Care Setting”,

“Patient Advocacy in the Health Care Setting”

“Social Worker as Advocate: From Campaigning to Policy

Making”,

“When Your Client has a Disability”, “Networking Throughout

Your Career”

“Lobbyist: Social Worker as Advocate”

“The Legislative Process”,

“The Americans with Disabilities Act”,

“Navigating the Maze of Social Services”,

“Aging and Disability”,

“Legislative Advocacy”

“Working with People with Disabilities”

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The production of newsletters for non-profit organizations

was a way of combining my interests in journalism and human

services. The much-acclaimed Health and Social Services

Networker, which I edited, had news about social services and a

popular calendar of marketing and educational opportunities in

the social services field.

Coalition Building

The Health and Social Services Advocate Newsletter that I

edited included the legislative priorities of various health and

social service organizations. Joining the legislative committees of

various organizations whose focus was on senior issues and

health care enabled me to continue my advocacy efforts in

Florida.

Joining committees that further your agenda can be

beneficial. As a member of the Jewish Community Relations

Council and the Senior Services Committee I was active in

promoting support for Israel and for seniors.

Many years after my feelings about the building of I-95 I was

sitting on the Broward County and City of Hollywood

transportation committees. During the 90s I led an effort to deny a

request by the Florida turnpike to build an off-ramp that would

have destroyed a Black church and removed a parking area from

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another. My outrage at injustice did not abate and as an adult I

was able to rectify some state wrongs.

As a member of these committees I worked to promote

public transportation over building more roads. Currently, I am a

member of the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating

Council in Palm Beach County, working to improve public

transportation and paratransit services. Being a member of a

committee can give you access to other officials. This access

gave me the opportunity to present a workshop for City of

Hollywood managers and supervisors on the ADA and program

accessibility.

Many professional and civic organizations present

opportunities for making a presentation before their membership.

If possible, arrange to speak on a particular issue to gain support.

Any presentation should include an action step. What should they

do next to address this issue? Have names and phone numbers

for whom participants can contact to take action on your issue.

Issues can range from seeking support for legislation to learning

about community resources. I made presentations to numerous

organizations. For example,

The Elder Services Resource Network,

Women in Healthcare,

Broward Coalition on Aging,

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Dade Association for Healthcare Quality,

Florida Association of Social Workers,

Florida Council on Aging,

Alliance for Dementia Professionals and the

Palm Beach Partnership for Aging.

The topics I addressed on were Medicaid, Medicare,

the legislative process, mainstreaming older adults with

developmental disabilities into community based senior

centers, transportation for seniors and community

resources. My presentation on planning for the future for

parents with disabilities was well received by the families

at the Schott Communities for Persons Who are Deaf or

Disabled in Cooper City, Florida.

Today, many people get their news and information from the

Internet and social media. Writing blogs or articles for newspapers

or websites detailing a particular topic can help readers better

understand an issue. Informational articles enable readers to

learn about many topics. The public can be educated about

community resources, public policies, or local advocacy efforts.

Beware of fake news. Check a variety of sources to confirm what

you read on the Internet or hear on television.

Journalism has been in my blood as early as 1968 when I

wrote articles for the Woodhaven NY Leader -Observer. I

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continued my interest in journalism as Exchange Editor at JFK

Junior High School and as a reporter for the Pioneer, the student

newspaper at North Miami High School.

Through the years I have contributed articles on social

services and legislation to the Jewish Week and Senior Citizen

Advocate. While working in Canarsie I was a regular contributor

for the Canarsie Courier.

In Florida I helped launch the Today’s Caregiver Magazine

as the Professional Issues editor. I wrote a Senior Savvy column

in the Miami Herald. After moving to Century Village in Boca I

started a monthly Savvy Senior column in the COBRUA Reporter,

the Village newspaper, on politics, advocacy and social services.

Educating Elected Officials

Writing letters to the editor and articles in local newspapers

can be an effective way to educate elected officials and the

general public about issues. Letters to the editor reflect opinions

on both sides of an issue.

Being part of an organization may present opportunities to

train members on effective lobbying or advocacy. As state

legislative chair for the Florida Chapter of the National Association

of Social Workers I co-authored an Advocacy Guide and Toolkit

for Social Workers and Mental Health Professionals (referenced

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elsewhere). This toolkit was used by social workers on Lobby Day

at the capital in Tallahassee.

Educate the public about the legislative process: Introduce

communities and constituencies to the legislators who represent

them. See Appendix 1 for some guidelines on legislative

advocacy and lobbying.

Client Advocacy

Whether you are working in an agency or in private practice

advocacy is an important part of your work. Clients come to you

for many different reasons. In an agency setting they may need

help applying for government programs. You may be in a position

as I described above where you have to help a client through an

appeals process. You may have to help fill out forms. The client

needs you to be their advocate.

I have heard many clinicians tell me they don’t know

anything about advocacy. When a client is in therapy, they are

often in stress due to other issues. What goes on in their life

obviously has an impact on their reason for therapy. They may

need to learn how to navigate the maze of social services. They

may need referrals to other agencies or programs and help in

learning self-advocacy skills. It is important to be aware of laws

and regulations that may be impacting your client and your

profession. Like I said earlier, you and your clients are involved in

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politics every day of your life. Therapists need to be familiar with

public policy as it impacts on your personal life.

Serving as the head of an organization or being on their

board of directors presents other opportunities for advocacy. I

was the Chairman of the Broward Unit of the National Association

of Social Workers and was their state Legislative Chair.

I was also Health Policy Chair and President of the Florida

Chapter of the Society for Social Worker Leadership in Health

Care (SSWLHC). These positions enabled me to advocate for a

variety of issues pertinent to social workers and health care. I

received several awards for my efforts, including Social Worker of

the Year for SSWLHC.

Board membership enables you to promote issues that

improve the services to clients. I accomplished this as a board

member for the Jewish Family Services (JFS) in Broward County

and the Legal Aid Society in Broward County.

On the JFS board I dealt with professional issues as well. It

also gave me an opportunity to advocate for services for my

father who lived in Dallas, Texas. Since he lived just outside the

city limits, I could not arrange services. Our new agency director

had just left JFS in Dallas. She made one phone call and got him

services. This experience also made me an advocate for

improving rural health care.

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Now, living in Century Village in Boca Raton, I worked with

the Low Vision Support Group to successfully advocate for all

print materials to be available in large print for our residents with

visual disabilities. I worked with others to improve lighting in our

community. I now organize health fairs and community resource

expos at Century Village in Boca Raton and Kings Point in Delray

Beach. Their services are brought directly to the people living in

south Palm Beach County. Upwards of 500 residents attend these

events. Now people can apply for government services and

programs in their communities.

A turning point in my life occurred when I moved to Century

Village. I met my second wife, a retired New York City school

teacher, who has been a loving and supportive companion. We

spend our summers in Tannersville, New York. I cannot seem to

stay out of trouble. While vacationing in Tannersville I have

continued my advocacy efforts. I produced a community resource

guide which has had an overwhelming response from the

community. I have also advocated for improving health care

services for the general public and for substance abusers.

Self-Advocacy: My Favorite Topic

Self-advocacy means learning how to speak up for yourself

in an effective manner. Whether dealing with government

agencies, health care providers or others, you need to be able to

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get your message across effectively so your needs are met or

concerns are addressed. You must first know yourself, know what

you need, and how to get it.

Sometimes you need to advocate for personal things that

you believe in. After my Bar Mitzvah. United Synagogue Youth

and Rabbi Max Lipschitz gave me the background in Judaism,

However, after my Bar Mitzvah, I felt that Conservative Judaism

no longer met my religious needs. With the influence of Rabbi

Naftali Porush, my grandfather and uncles I became slowly

became more orthodox. I had to advocate within my own family to

enable me to pursue my newly founded religious beliefs.

When I was pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work at

Hunter College in New York the school decided to add two floors

to our building. Students with disabilities requested input into the

building plans and but we were refused. When the two floors were

finished, we discovered a few architectural mistakes. The

bathroom door and toilet stall door were not properly placed to

allow access. There also was a step going onto an outdoor patio.

We were able to get them to remedy the problem.

An even better example of this is when I was visiting a state

fair in Dallas, Texas. There was a beautifully built ramp going into

an exhibit hall. However, there was one step at the entrance on

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top. The staff said there was a ramp for people who use

wheelchairs. No one was aware of the step.

The lesson here is that people with disabilities need to be

involved in the planning of any construction or renovations. We

need to insist on input so mistakes aren’t made that are costly to

fix later.

To be a good self-advocate you need to know where to go

for help and who to ask. There are many resources in the

community that can help. Resource guides are a good way to

learn what is available in your community.

I have written many resource guides during my career,

dealing with topics including accessibility, community resources

and human trafficking. A guide to help you or your client navigate

the maze of social services can be found in appendix 3.

The Health and Social Services Navigator Resource Guide,

published from 2004-2011, was used in health care facilities from

Indian River County to Miami-Dade County. I still get calls

requesting copies. I now have resources on my website,

www.flnavigator.com. I also organize health fairs and community

resource expos to being services directly to residents of south

Palm Beach County. A guide to help you or your client navigate

the maze of social services can be found in Appendix 3.

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A good source for help which is underutilized is our elected

officials. They have staff trained to deal with issues like Social

Security, Medicare, Medicaid, immigration, and other government

programs.

Another form of self-advocacy is helping others learn how

to interact appropriately with people with disabilities. You may

have to show a caregiver or health care professional how to best

help you in a given situation.

Medical students and students in other health care

professions need to learn how to interact appropriately with

people with disabilities. They need to be familiar with relevant

laws such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans

with Disabilities Act of 1990.

In 2015 the Nova University Medical School invited me to

present a workshop on working with people with disabilities and

the American with Disabilities Act. I also made a poster

presentation on locating and accessing community resources.

Caregivers are important advocates for those who are

unable to help themselves. They play an important role in

advocating for their parents who need services. It is important to

let service providers know what services they need. See appendix

3 for help in navigating the maze of services.

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Through the years I had time to understand and overcome

my disabilities and been able to turn them into an advantage.

When I was born the doctors did not think I would ever be able to

see, walk, or talk. They recommended institutionalization. I

obviously proved them wrong. I wanted to show my MSW diploma

to that doctor, but he died years ago.

Parental advocacy on behalf of children with disabilities is an

important form of advocacy. In the 1950s and even today children

are born with disabilities and the medical field recommends

institutionalization. Parents stood up to the medical field back

when I was born and kept their children at home and saw them

thrive with some assistance. United Cerebral Palsy was started

because parents joined forces and advocated for services for their

children. My parents thankfully did not listen to the doctors.

www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/research/history/

Since my early years I have developed a special sensitivity

to the needs of others. As I have proven throughout my life, with

patience (from myself and others) and some individual

assistance, I have been successful on in life in spite of my

disabilities.

As I find myself at an age of the clients I used to service, I

am now more keenly aware of the issues and concerns of older

adults and especially people with disabilities.