Advocacy and Policy: working together to strengthen the community

Building a healthy community is not the job of one organization. It’s a collective effort of agencies, government and others working together for a common goal. Through these collaborative efforts, we can influence policies and actions to create lasting change.?

Advocacy is standing behind what we believe in. Policy helps guide the movement forward. Together, they strengthen the community.?

We talk a lot about our work with clients, to help them build resilience for the future. But without conversations around policy, research and advocacy, it’s hard to move the needle from short term solutions to long-term prevention.?

Initiatives such as the Trauma Informed Care Collective are one such way we are working to move the needle. Through collaboration with other nonprofits, we are working to support and advocate for the introduction of trauma informed care across government departments. Why does this matter??

Simply by helping government and non governmental organizations gain a deeper understanding of trauma, they can have more insight and perspective to draw on when making policy decisions. Because these policy decisions aren’t just decisions on paper. They directly impact the lives of people who are struggling to find their way forward from a traumatic situation.?

It’s another reason I remain active on the Red Tape Reduction Industry Panel with the Government of Alberta. This dynamic group is composed of non-profit leaders who work to identify unnecessary red tape and support a more collaborative and effective regulatory environment for non-profits in Alberta.

Advocacy matters out in the community, but it’s just as important within our internal teams. At CUPS, we are actively developing a Strategic Research, Policy and Advocacy Agenda, designed to give us a strong foundation both internally and in the broader community for having these dynamic conversations.

While the Agenda is still in development, the work is already underway. We are working to have more client-centred involvement, have established a strong social justice committee and are sharing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position with our partners at Kindred.?

We have also hired an Indigenous Program Coordinator to ensure Indigenous issues are part of our overall strategic plan, not a separate discussion. Through both policy and action, we want Indigenous voices part of the planning and have Indigenization woven throughout.?

Policy and advocacy work needs to have a stronger presence in our community. There is important work being done to change the narrative around our vulnerable population in Calgary and to give them stronger tools and guidance for moving forward and building resilience. It’s that collective effort that we need for change.?

And when we combine political will and community passion, we are most effective.?

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