Consumer Advocacy in an Era of

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1 Consumer Advocacy in an Era of Social lnetworking Institute for Behavioral Health Informatics Conference November 2010 Patrick Hendry Senior Director, Consumer Advocacy Mental Health America Social Networking Social Networking has brought a whole new way of approaching consumer advocacy. People and advocacy organizations are using these tools to; promote causes, educate the public and the mental health system, and raise funds to strengthen their message. Social Networking helps to broaden an individuals connection to the larger community. 1

2 A Few Things to Consider 61% of adults look online for health information Research has shown that social networks can act as social support systems to promote mental health It is not restricted by location It enables individuals to create connections with others, while essentially creating a community It creates an equal space for individuals (without labels, if so desired) Low cost Sources: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2009; Social networks and mental health: on overview, 1982; 3 Social Media and our Movement Social media has potential on an individual basis Personal support Reduce isolation Increase communications with out physical barriers Sharing resources Social media has potential on organizational basis Educate and Advocate Advertise events Find members Get word out Get people to act Receive feedback and dialogue with members 2

3 Assessing Your Organization s Needs Review your strategic and marketing plans to determine what is currently being implemented. Does your strategic plan identify specific goals? orecruit new individuals to your organization oget your current membership more involved opromote your products or services o Share information about your activities o Increase traffic to your Website Does you marketing plan outline which tools are or will be used to reach your goals? o Website o o Newsletter 5 Assessing Your Needs cont. Consider if the tools you have identified are being used to their maximum potential and if they are the most cost effective for your end goal. Once you have outlined what tools are available and how they are being used, you can then think about social media tools and how they can be integrated into your strategic and marketing plans. Finally, you will should be able to figure out how you can link all of these tools into one unit that work together for your organization. 6 3

4 Choosing Your Social Media Tools Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Blog Photo Sharing Websites (Flickr, PhotoBucket) Video Sharing Websites (YouTube, Google Video) 7 Websites & Social Networks Websites can also be used for social networking by providing: Chat rooms and forums Links to other sites (like Facebook) Motivation for people to take social action Consolidating your social network tools in one place 4

5 Websites & Social Networks Here is an example of a Website functioning as a Social Network site. Setting Goals Consider how your goals for the social media tools will be integrated into the goals you have identified in your strategic and marketing plans. For example: ohow many times will you post content/tweet? ohow many individuals can join your online network or follow you? owhat kinds of interactions/comments can you elicit? To help guide your ideas, think about identifying SMART goals osmart= specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time based 10 5

6 Developing Your Strategy Decide who on your team will take the lead in utilizing the social media tools: o Understand that you should feel comfortable with having that individual serve as a spokesperson for your organization Review the goals that you have outlined and review your organization s materials omost often you do not need to create new content, you just need to reuse content from already developed materials It is better to focus on one or two tools. 11 The MHA Experience The tools we use: Facebook, Twitter, Inspire, Blog o Facebook 4,277 fans o Twitter 1,219followers o Inspire 698 members Facebook o Began in July 2008, took over in April 2010 Since new strategy was developed we have increased approximately 1600fans o We post content at least threes a week o Have regular staff meetings to discuss progress and map out plan of action 12 6

7 Focusing on Facebook Some requirements: Requires a computer or a cell phone Requires registrationfora a free member account How do people use it? Friends and family support each other Find new friends and communities Find areas of interests Posts Pictures, videos Games Messages Barriers to Social Networking: The Digital Divide Surveysdone by consumerorganizations organizations in several states have shown that only 35 40% of people receiving public mental health services use the Internet. This is due to a number of causes; Over 60% of people using public mental health servicesarereceivingssiandcannot receiving and cannot afford a computer Many people who have been institutionalized feel that they are not capable of using the internet and are afraid of trying. 7

8 Barriers to Social Networking: The Digital Divide Eventhough most publiclibrariesand libraries and many Drop In Centers provide access to computers, we still need to find new ways to inspire mental health consumers to learn to access this important tool. Building Social Networks on the Internet is an important step in returning to community involvement, and is a powerful component of individual and systems advocacy. Starting a Facebook Page Create a personal account for yourself Make as many friends as you can Start a page for your organization Assign administrators Teach your members Facebook 8

9 Organizations Using Facebook Keep folks informed Make stronger bonds among members Get feedback from members Motivate members to attend your program Motivate members to take action Find more members Support causes Raise money Resources The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide (Workbook) social mediadecision guide Wild Apricot (Blogs, Webinars, tech info) Social Media for Nonprofit Beginners; 9

10 Contact Information Mental Health America Patrick Hendry Mental Health America would like to thank SAMHSA and CMHS for their support. 10