CABWHP GEARS UP TO TRAIN 2nd GROUP OF HEALTH ADVOCATES

The California Black Women's Health Project will soon begin training a new class of students for the Advocate Training Program (ATP). The ATP is a program that is designed to train women from the grassroots community to become effective health policy activists and advocates. The inaugural program in 2002-2003 was enormously successful. We anticipate that the 2003-2004 ATP will be equally (if not more) successful. The ATP focuses on advocacy that addresses the intersection between Black women's mental, emotional and physical health. The training program emphasizes skill-building so that participants learn community organizing and advocacy skills, including initiating and sustaining letter writing campaigns, writing press releases and becoming effective legislative advocates, in an interactive environment. The central focus of the ATP is to empower Black women who are not traditionally part of the policy advocacy arena to advocate for their health, the health of their families and the Black community. Graduates of the ATP will enhance and expand the network of activists, policymakers and leaders striving to improve the health of Black women in California.

The ATP is a ten-week course that meets for approximately 3 hours per week in the evenings. The program will begin during the week of September 22, 2003 and end during the week of December 1, 2003 with a graduation ceremony and group project presentation. A brief orientation will be held one week prior to the beginning of classes. The meetings are held in Inglewood, California. The ATP has a curriculum designed to provide a broad overview of health policy advocacy, agenda setting, effective strategies and leadership and social action training. The specific topics covered include:

• The Legislative and Budget Process
• Effective Systems/Public Policy Advocacy
• Impacting Public Policy through Community Organizing and Media Strategy
• Black Women's Health: Mind, Body & Soul
• Strategy Building and Implementation
• Individual and Self Advocacy
• Community Organizing

CABWHP staff, policy experts, healthcare experts and social activists provide instruction and facilitate discussion at weekly seminars discussion at weekly seminars/workshops. Textbook and hands-on interactive material will also be used as a core component of the program. ATP members must commit to completing a group project that can
potentially impact the communities where they live and serve. In addition, members will have an opportunity to attend several daylong workshops and trainings in the Spring of 2004.

The CABWHP is currently seeking bright, motivated individuals committed to policy advocacy for Black women's health. Criteria for selection to the program include individuals who have:

• Previous grassroots involvement
• An interest in Black women's Health An interest in learning and developing policy advocacy skills
• A background in women's health or similar background Little or no policy experience and
• Will commit to attend at least 8 out of 10 classes during the ten week program

CABWHP will select up to 15 participants for the fall 2003 program. Participants will be carefully selected to represent the community in terms of age, education, work, socio-economic backgrounds and volunteer experience. Completed applications must be postmarked by August 16, 2003. Applications are available online at www.cabwhp.org or by calling (310) 412-1828.