Advocacy Campaign to Introduce the Bill of Trauma Informed Care to the homeless LGBTQ population in New York

Up to the present time, homelessness is perceived as traumatic involvement in the sense that the population is under pressure, uninformed on what will they get to eat and an unaware where they will spend their next night. Hopper, Bassuk, and Olivet (2010) argue that the homeless populations are exposed to additional forms of suffering, which include emotional abuse, communal violence, misfortunes, domestic violence, disregard, and other disasters. Besides, the rate of traumatic stress disorder and exposure to the violence among this vulnerable population is high and lead to the consequences to the individual and the stableness of the institution during the incarnation (Miller and Najavits, 2012). According to the definition provide by Bowen (2016), trauma is said to be the experience that generates intense emotional distress, fear, and pain, which can result in long-term psychological and psychosocial consequences. On the other hand, Berg (2016) maintains that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questions are among the member of population that faces significance prejudice and discrimination in the New York. This group of community do not have shelter and most of them are placed in foster care setting to the risk of emotional mistreatment (Berg, 2016). This community are them placed in foster home to receive support and reduce the risk of traumatization. Therefore, it is significant to implement the trauma-informed care bill in the New York States to assist the LGBTQ community in the foster care setting. This paper, therefore, provides an advocacy campaign with details methods and strategies that will be used on passing the bill of trauma-informed care to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting in the New York State. This framework will also provide the importance of the proposed bill and how the advocates will ensure that the legislature gets enough votes to pass the bill in the State of New York.

Looking at the increasing acknowledgment of the prevalence of the traumatic stress among individual of vulnerable homeless such as LGBTQ population in the foster care setting, this campaign awareness has been developed to address the importance of trauma-informed care to this community. Trauma-informed care entails acknowledging, responding to matters, forestalling, opportunities, and requirements that an individual who has been affected by trauma disorder might receive service (Hopper, Bassuk, and Olivet, 2016; Bowen, 2016; Miller and Najavits, 2012). Bowen further argues that trauma-informed care is principles with fundamental intention of promoting treatment and reduces the risk of traumatization of the LGBTQ population in the homeless care setting (Bowen, 2012). Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to develop an advocacy campaign that will support the passing of the bill, “trauma-informed care to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting New York State.” Additionally, the advocacy also provides this population with informed care system that will reduce or prevent traumatization within the New York State.

Importance of trauma-informed care bill

Hopper, Bassuk, and Olivet (2016) maintain that TIC is significant in the sense that it supports the distribution of trauma specific services that are premeditated to prevent and create awareness on the impact trauma with the aim of reducing and averting symptoms in the foster care setting. Therefore, the passing of the bill is important to the New York in the sense that it will provide with the understanding of the trauma and prevent further traumatization. Besides, the New York healthcare providers in the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting in New York state will experience training, discussion, and management that will bring transformation in the trauma-informed care practices. Separately Hopper, Bassuk, and Olivet (2016) hold that highlighting on trauma-informed care will function toward building physical and emotional safety to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting.

Onn the other hand, trauma informed services to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting will assist them in the sense that integrating care will bring together all the services and support this community in dealing with emotional, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual well-being. Other services such as best practices in integrating psychological health services will be grounded in the principles of trauma informed care such as better housing, medical, and social services to the LGBTQ you who are homeless ( Keuroghlian, Shtasel, & Bassuk, 2014 ). Additionally, other services such as providing preventive services and education to the parents would help the young LGBTQ community acquire permanent shelter in their homes. Moreover, social awareness will be raised to acknowledge the racial disparity with is consequences and adopt confidential policies that would assist the homeless LGBTQ community to gain better and secure home ( Keuroghlian, Shtasel, & Bassuk, 2014 ).

Advocacy campaign strategies

The homeless LGBTQ population in New York can be informed on the variety of circumstance on the issue of trauma. In this case, the appropriate set of measures and awareness should be implemented on a group, individual, and state level. Ko et al. (2008) argue that the level at which advocacy campaign is professed is mostly characterized some explanations, which includes the magnitude of the issue, both short and long-term effects of the problem, and the accessibility of the resources. In this, our case, advocacy to pass the bill of the introducing trauma-informed care to the homeless LGBTQ population in the foster care setting in New York is vast in the sense that this State register a huge number of this vulnerable population. Some of the advocacy strategies that can be used to support the passing of the trauma-informed care bill within the homeless care setting include legislative bodies and bureaucracy, media, court, and another regulatory process can be used to exercise the campaign in the New York State.

The Process of Bureaucracy and Legislative Advocacy

This type of advocacy is all about working with the individual with the law-making bodies to gain support for the cause of the initiative, and in this, our case passing campaigning for introducing trauma informed care bill to the homeless LGBTQ population in the foster care setting New York State. Below is the process that the legislative advocacy will use to get enough votes to pass the bill.

To start with, I recommend that organizing allies is essential in the sense that the campaign will call for the entire New York State, business leaders, and another citizen that understand the importance of the issues at stake. In this case, for the bill to be passed the number or the initiate will have a significant amount of population to support the bill. In the New York States, partnering with programs such as the McKinney-Vento Act will assist the provide credibility and funding of this current services to ensure that the bill of trauma informed is introduced to the homeless LGBTQ youths. On the other hand, the advocacy program will collaborate with the Office of the Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) administers of the New York State homeless housing to provide stable housing support other services (DiNapoli, 2016). Additionally, OTDA will certify and directly oversee the large-scale facilities and support the introduction of trauma-informed care to the homeless LGBTQ community in the foster care setting in New York (DiNapoli, 2016). I will also partner with the New York Governor’s Office provided the overall responsibilities among the governmental entities in New York to assist and complete the oversight of this campaign.

I will also create the coordination structure. In this process, the campaign will call for the coalition with a coordination that serves the will help the focal point movement, orchestrating communication, and directs actions. Besides, organizations working in the coalition will have superior forces drive such as sufficient staff, involvement, leadership as well as the distribution of the duties and responsibilities that will make the campaign achieve its objectives (Leitch, 2017). The third step entails the legislative to understand the issue inside out and know the opponent's argument. This will also include acknowledging the key legislatures and their position on the issue. The fourth step is creating a communication network that will communicate the issue and create awareness to the entire New York population on the importance of trauma informed care services to the homeless LGBTQ youths in the foster care setting.

The fifth process is Advocating through media. In State New York, media is one of the most influential elements that can be used to create awareness of the trauma-informed care within the homeless care setting. In this case, I will use media to recognize the importance of TIC to the LGBTQ youths in the foster care setting. Besides, the apprehensions related to the population about the consequences of the trauma, and provide supplementary prominence on safety consequences because of long and short-term effects of traumatic stress (Magruder, Kassam-Adams, Thoresen, & Olff, 2016). On the other hand, media will also be used to Trauma Treatment Acton Campaign in the New York to raise the consciousness on the psychosomatic and psychosocial effect of trauma to the vulnerable homeless. The final process will entail taking the long view on the issue. In this case, the advocates in our campaign team will keep and maintain alliances and communication with several lawmakers to ensure that trauma-informed care bill is understood and considered.

Techniques used to gather support from the public

Use of media will help to communicate the importance of the trauma-informed care. The second method is the use of online resources such as creating the advocacy website and using other social media networks as Facebook will assist in establishing and gathering the public. Additionally, the third method is the use print media such as flyers, burners, and posters and newspapers should be used as campaign tools and techniques to communicate the issue to the public and seek their votes on passing ad implementing the bill. One of the main reason for advocacy campaign is to empower the LGBTQ community in the foster care setting. In this case, every individual or groups who are creating awareness of TIC in the New York foster care setting should provide empowerment.

Planning and Timeline

For this advocacy to be effective, two major steps are required namely initial planning and Kickoff training event. First, the program should consider understanding the importance trauma informed care. The organizational commitment to and support the campaign, full representation of each stakeholder, the practical awareness on the matter, and the formation of the trauma initiative workgroup to lead the program is also vital. The approximate timeline of this fist planning can be up to two years due to cultural change. The second final step in advocacy campaign should be the kick-off training of the event and actual awareness creation of on the concept of trauma-informed care in the vulnerable homeless. This section will also include the above-described advocacy campaign strategies. Table 1 below summarizes the action plan that will be used to indicate the step by step taken to implement this advocacy actions.

Table 1: Action Plan and Timeline

Goal: Introduce trauma informed care to LGBTQ population in the foster care setting.
Objective: To develop an advocacy campaign that will support the passing of the bill, “Trauma-Informed care to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting New York State.
Strategies	Action Steps	Responsible bodies	Time Frame
To develop a public advocacy campaign to introduce trauma-informed care to the LGBTQ population in the foster care setting New York State	I will create a statewide common message that indicates the risk and trauma consequences that LGBTQ population faces in the foster care setting.	New York State department; State health care; Governor’s office; Office of the Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA); McKinney-Vento Act; Academic institutions	By 31/7/2017
	Develop a communication strategy that show how this population is at risk.		By 30/9/2017
	Develop a cultural-sensitive information on ways to reduce this problem affecting this population.		By 31/10/2017
	Provide messages and data that support the idea of trauma-informed care		By 31/11/2017
To promote evidence-based healthy living free from traumatization and other services such as stable shelter, food, social and cultural awareness, medication, and	Identify the existing practices that will benefit the population	Local health departments, Home state affairs; PTSD care; Community health centers; Prevention Coalitions; Pharmacies, State Agencies; Bureaucratic and legislative agencities.	By 10/11/2017
	Develop guidelines and strategies that will support the bill		By 20/11/2017
	Spread the information and awareness on the importance of trauma informed care to LGBTQ population		By 31/11/2017
	Seek public support through various campaign methods and present the bill to the legislature to be passed		By 1/1/2018

In conclusion, the paper has demonstrated clear guidelines and strategies that can be used to advocate for trauma-informed care to the indigent care system in the New York State. Additionally, the study has shown that legislative and bureaucracy are essential in policy seeking and many organization and groups rely on this regulatory to ask for support in trauma treatment and awareness of trauma-informed care in the vulnerable homeless. The paper has also identified other potential strategies and process that can be used to campaign for trauma-informed care.

References

Berg, R. (2016). A Hidden Crisis: The Pipeline from Foster Care to Homeless for LGBTQ youth. The Chronicle of Social Change. Available from https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/child-welfare-2/hidden-crisis-pipeline-foster-care-homelessness-lgbtq-youth

Bowen, A. E. (2016). Trauma-Informed Social Policy: A Conceptual Framework for Policy Analysis and Advocacy. American Journal of Public Health, 106(2); 223-224; doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302970

DiNapoli, P. T. (2016). Homeless Shelters and Homelessness in the New York State: An Overview, Exclusive of the New York City. New York State Office of the State Comptroller. Available from https://www.osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093016/16d3.pdf

Hopper, K. E., Bassuk, L.E., and Olivet, J. (2016). Shelter from the Storm: Trauma Informed Care in Homeless Services Setting. The Open Health Services and Policy Journal, 3; 80-100

Keuroghlian, A. S., Shtasel, D., & Bassuk, E. L. (2014). Out on the Street: A Public Health and Policy Agenda for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Who Are Homeless.  The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry ,  84 (1), 66–72. http://doi.org/10.1037/h0098852

Ko, S., Kassam-Adams, N., Wilson, C., Ford, J., Berkowitz, S., and Wong, M. (2008). Creating Trauma Informed Systems: Child Welfare, Education, First Responders, Health Care, and Juvenile Justice. American Psychological Association, 39(4); 396-404. 

Leitch, L. (2017). Action steps using ACEs and trauma-informed care: a resilience model.  Health & Justice ,  5 , 5. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-017-0050-5

Loue, S. (2006). Community health advocacy.  Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health ,  60 (6), 458–463. http://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2004.023044

Magruder, K. M., Kassam-Adams, N., Thoresen, S., & Olff, M. (2016). Prevention and public health approaches to trauma and traumatic stress: a rationale and a call to action.  European Journal of Psycho-traumatology ,  7 , 10.3402/ejpt.v7.29715. http://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v7.29715

Miller, N. A., & Najavits, L. M. (2012). Creating trauma-informed correctional care: a balance of goals and environment.  European Journal of Psycho traumatology ,  3 , 10.3402/ejpt.v3i0.17246. http://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v3i0.17246.