There are many roles families can take to influence change. Some roles are paid and some are unpaid, and they can be short-term or long-term commitments, depending on what is best for you.
Following is a list of roles families can take to impact policy and systems.1
- Member of Task Force
- Advisory Board Member
- Participant in a Focus Group
- Reviewer of Materials
- Program Evaluator
- Paid Program Staff
- Program Consultant
- Mentor or Support Parent for Other Families
- Provider of Testimony at Hearings
- Advocate (paid or unpaid)
- Fundraiser
- Provider of Input for Quality Improvement Initiative
- Provider of Input for Hiring of New Staff
- Grant Reviewer
- Group Facilitator
- Social Media Contributor
- Blog Writer or Contributor
1Adapted from Thomas, J. and Jeppson, E.S. (1997), Essential allies: Families as advisors, Institute for Family-Centered Care, Bethesda, MD