CHES Advocacy for Health 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CHES is concerned that a proposed state budget cut will eliminate a school-based health program. Which first step is MOST strategic?
- Immediately hold a press conference to condemn the cuts
- Map stakeholders who benefit from the program and assess their advocacy capacity (Correct answer)
- Write an op-ed without first gathering data
- File a lawsuit against the state budget committee
Correct answer: Map stakeholders who benefit from the program and assess their advocacy capacity
Stakeholder mapping is a foundational step that identifies allies, resources, and influence before launching advocacy activities.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST illustrates the use of data to drive advocacy?
- Sharing a compelling personal story without supporting statistics
- Presenting local hospitalization rates tied to the absence of a specific policy (Correct answer)
- Citing national averages that do not reflect local conditions
- Using data from a discredited source to strengthen the argument
Correct answer: Presenting local hospitalization rates tied to the absence of a specific policy
Local, specific data directly tied to a policy gap makes advocacy arguments concrete and credible to decision-makers.
Question 3: A health educator joins a task force where she disagrees with a proposed advocacy strategy on ethical grounds. What is the MOST appropriate action?
- Remain silent to preserve group harmony
- Raise the ethical concern clearly within the group and seek consensus (Correct answer)
- Secretly undermine the strategy without disclosing her disagreement
- Immediately resign from the task force
Correct answer: Raise the ethical concern clearly within the group and seek consensus
Ethical practice requires transparently raising concerns within appropriate channels rather than remaining silent or acting covertly.
Question 4: Which advocacy approach involves training community members to tell their own stories to media and policymakers?
- Public interest litigation
- Spokesperson development and narrative training (Correct answer)
- Regulatory comment submission
- Epidemiological surveillance
Correct answer: Spokesperson development and narrative training
Narrative training equips community members to articulate their experiences compellingly, amplifying authentic voices in the policy process.
Question 5: A CHES is reviewing a bill that includes health-relevant provisions buried in a larger infrastructure package. This reflects which concept in health policy advocacy?
- Street-level bureaucracy
- Policy windows and policy riders (Correct answer)
- Administrative rulemaking
- Judicial review
Correct answer: Policy windows and policy riders
Health provisions attached to broader legislation are called policy riders; recognizing them is essential for comprehensive advocacy monitoring.
Question 6: When a CHES practitioner partners with a faith community to advocate for mental health services, this strategy PRIMARILY leverages which advocacy asset?
- Legal authority
- Trusted social institutions and community credibility (Correct answer)
- Academic publishing platforms
- Government funding streams
Correct answer: Trusted social institutions and community credibility
Faith communities carry high trust and social capital, making them powerful allies for health advocacy in many communities.
Question 7: According to CHES competency standards, health educators engaged in advocacy must ensure their efforts are grounded in which foundational principle?
- Maximizing media exposure at all costs
- Advancing health equity and social justice (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing organizational reputation over community benefit
- Achieving rapid short-term policy wins over sustainable change
Correct answer: Advancing health equity and social justice
CHES advocacy competencies are rooted in health equity and social justice, ensuring that advocacy efforts reduce disparities rather than reinforce them.
CHES Advocacy for Health 5
A CHES is concerned that a proposed state budget cut will eliminate a school-based health program.
Which first step is MOST strategic?