1. Community Advocacy Interactive Module
Communicating with Community Members and
Organizations
Target Length: 30 minutes
Participants: Psychiatry Residents and Fellows
Facilitators: Community organization leaders, attendings
Assumption:
Previous interactive didactic experience focused on community resources, basics on
audience-appropriate communication style, person-centered language. May include
brief discussion with community member living with mental illness (e.g. positive
and negative experiences with psychiatry, how s/he interprets the recovery model,
pleasant surprises/unexpected challenges, etc.).
Scenario/Directions:
You are asked to speak with and give a presentation to a community support group
of a local organization that provides services and support for people living with
mental illness. Facilitator can pause to ask residents what they should present. Trick
question – should present what the audience wants to learn more about. Facilitators
will have a “Top 10” list of issues that their members are interested in knowing
more about. Some can be basic (“depression 101”), some can be more person-
centered (“how do I tell my doctor I don’t want to take my meds any more”), some
can be scientific (“What is metabolic syndrome?”). Residents will be asked to divide
into small groups and create an outline for a community-oriented talk on the topic
they have chosen. They should also be prepared to have a representative give the
introductory “minute or two” of their talk (as time allows). Facilitator can pause for
feedback, discussion throughout the exercise, mini-presentations.
Questions to consider:
Who is my audience?
Why is this important to them?
How can I make this relevant to them?
Remember to:
Make eye contact! Speak more slowly than you think you should!
Remember your audience.
Think about language! How can we be person-centered?
Directions:
After initial discussion, topic selection, have audience split up into groups of 2-3
members. The groups will be given 5-10 minutes to practice their presentation.
Each group will then present to the entire group. Facilitator should moderate,
provide feedback. Questions can and should be asked, but not in an antagonistic
way. Facilitators should assess for key components listed above, as well as body

2. language, presentation style. They should then give brief feedback after the
presentation.
The last ~5 minutes at the end of the session should be used to solicit residents’
experience, evaluate challenges and/or surprises.