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Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni

Received: 21 April 2021     Accepted: 30 April 2021     Published: 14 May 2021
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Abstract

Partners in Policymaking® is a leadership and advocacy training program for adults with disabilities and family members of persons with disabilities. The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities began implementing this intensive seven-weekend program in 1993. Objectives: The lasting influence of such a training program on the advocacy practices and leadership activities of graduates once they have completed the program has not been examined; this was the aim of the study. Methods: A follow-up survey seeking to quantify graduates’ current levels of advocacy, community involvement, accomplishments, and overall satisfaction with the training experience was created and sent to 361 graduates across a variety of formats; one hundred and thirty-five individuals completed the measure. Results: The findings suggest that program completion had a lasting impact on participants’ disability-related knowledge, advocacy, and self-assessed ability to create change in disability-related policy. Specifically, a majority of the graduates affirmed increases in leadership skills, leadership ability, and sense of empowerment. In addition, graduates reported increased feelings of connectedness to others with similar life experiences, with a majority even reporting increased quality of life due to participation. Conclusions: Use of a structured training program in leadership and advocacy to increase perceived self-efficacy in disability policy advocacy and leadership is supported. Graduates’ qualitative comments reveal enduring community activism and engagement in systems change, including statewide and national disability-related policy advocacy, years after completing the program.

Published in American Journal of Health Research (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12
Page(s) 72-81
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Leadership Development, Advocacy, Community Inclusion, Partners in Policymaking

References
[1] Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-402 106–402, §1 (a), 114 Stat. 1677 (2000). https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/about-acl/2016-12/dd_act_2000.pdf.
[2] The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. (2016). Partners in Policymaking Coordinator's Handbook. Minnesota Department on Administration. http://mn.gov/mnddc/pipm/pdf/Partners_Coord_Handbook2016.pdf.
[3] Wang, M., Mannan, H., Poston, D., Turnbull, A. P., & Summers, J. A. (2004). Parents’ perceptions of advocacy activities and their impact on family quality of life. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 29 (2), 144-155.
[4] The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. (2015). Partners in Policymaking. Minnesota Department on Administration. http://mn.gov/mnddc/pipm/pdf/PiP-Changing-Lives-Changing-Policies1.pdf.
[5] Zirpoli, T. J., Hancox, D. H., Wieck, C., & Skarnulis, E. R. (1989). Partners in Policymaking: Empowering people. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 14 (2), 163–167.
[6] Zirpoli, T. J., Wieck, C., Hancox, D. H., & Skarnulis, E. R. (1994). Partners in Policymaking: The first five years. Mental Retardation, 32 (6), 422–425.
[7] Cunconan-Lahr, R., Brotherson, M. J. (1996). Advocacy in disability policy: Parents and consumers as advocates. Mental Retardation, 34 (6), 352–358.
[8] Balcazar, F. E., Keys, C. B., Bertram, J. F., & Rizzo, T. (1996). Advocate development in the field of developmental disabilities: A data-based conceptual model. Mental Retardation, 34 (6), 341–351.
[9] Reynolds, M. C. (2011). Understanding the partners in policymaking program and the impact of participation on parents of children with developmental disabilities in Missouri [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Missouri-Kansas City.
[10] United States Census Bureau. (2017). Quick Facts for Tennessee in 2017. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/tn.
[11] Jackson, S. L. (2015). Research methods and statistics: A critical thinking approach (5th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing.
[12] Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22, 63–75.
[13] Solomon, N. A. (2018b, July). Two Chattanooga programs promote the safety of individuals with disabilities. Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/cdd/projects-and-initiatives/public-awareness/breaking-ground/breaking-ground-93/breaking-ground-93---two-chattanooga-programs-promote-the-safety-of-individuals-with-disabilities.html.
[14] Rice, C. (2017, April). The rest of Menchie’s story. Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/cdd/documents/cddbreakingground/Breaking%20Ground%2084%20-%20final%20version.pdf.
[15] Solomon, N. A. (2018a, October). Oris G. Bowen breaks employment ground through the state’s Go-DBE program. Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/cdd/projects-and-initiatives/public-awareness/breaking-ground/breaking-ground-94/breaking-ground-94---oris-g--bowen-breaks-employment-ground.html.
[16] Earheart, C. (2016, April). Let me “get out to the ballgame!” Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/cdd/documents/cddbreakingground/Breaking%20Ground%2082%20-%20April%202016.pdf.
[17] Meredith, A. (2016, October). The TIME Act aims to undo subminimum wages. Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/cdd/documents/cddbreakingground/Breaking%20Ground%2084%20-%20final%20version.pdf.
[18] Shouse, J. (2017, July). Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder is a first step in the right direction. Breaking Ground. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/cdd/documents/cddbreakingground/Breaking%20Ground%2088%20July%202017%20PDF.pdf.
[19] Nulty, D. D. (2008). The adequacy of response rates to online and paper surveys: What can be done? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 33 (3), 301–314.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Bruce Lane Keisling, Robert Zach DeBerry, Alexandra Marie Vohs. (2021). Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni. American Journal of Health Research, 9(3), 72-81. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12

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    ACS Style

    Bruce Lane Keisling; Robert Zach DeBerry; Alexandra Marie Vohs. Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni. Am. J. Health Res. 2021, 9(3), 72-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12

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    AMA Style

    Bruce Lane Keisling, Robert Zach DeBerry, Alexandra Marie Vohs. Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni. Am J Health Res. 2021;9(3):72-81. doi: 10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12,
      author = {Bruce Lane Keisling and Robert Zach DeBerry and Alexandra Marie Vohs},
      title = {Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni},
      journal = {American Journal of Health Research},
      volume = {9},
      number = {3},
      pages = {72-81},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajhr.20210903.12},
      abstract = {Partners in Policymaking® is a leadership and advocacy training program for adults with disabilities and family members of persons with disabilities. The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities began implementing this intensive seven-weekend program in 1993. Objectives: The lasting influence of such a training program on the advocacy practices and leadership activities of graduates once they have completed the program has not been examined; this was the aim of the study. Methods: A follow-up survey seeking to quantify graduates’ current levels of advocacy, community involvement, accomplishments, and overall satisfaction with the training experience was created and sent to 361 graduates across a variety of formats; one hundred and thirty-five individuals completed the measure. Results: The findings suggest that program completion had a lasting impact on participants’ disability-related knowledge, advocacy, and self-assessed ability to create change in disability-related policy. Specifically, a majority of the graduates affirmed increases in leadership skills, leadership ability, and sense of empowerment. In addition, graduates reported increased feelings of connectedness to others with similar life experiences, with a majority even reporting increased quality of life due to participation. Conclusions: Use of a structured training program in leadership and advocacy to increase perceived self-efficacy in disability policy advocacy and leadership is supported. Graduates’ qualitative comments reveal enduring community activism and engagement in systems change, including statewide and national disability-related policy advocacy, years after completing the program.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    T1  - Twenty-Five Years of the Partners in Policymaking® Leadership Institute: A Longitudinal Survey of Tennessee Alumni
    AU  - Bruce Lane Keisling
    AU  - Robert Zach DeBerry
    AU  - Alexandra Marie Vohs
    Y1  - 2021/05/14
    PY  - 2021
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12
    T2  - American Journal of Health Research
    JF  - American Journal of Health Research
    JO  - American Journal of Health Research
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajhr.20210903.12
    AB  - Partners in Policymaking® is a leadership and advocacy training program for adults with disabilities and family members of persons with disabilities. The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities began implementing this intensive seven-weekend program in 1993. Objectives: The lasting influence of such a training program on the advocacy practices and leadership activities of graduates once they have completed the program has not been examined; this was the aim of the study. Methods: A follow-up survey seeking to quantify graduates’ current levels of advocacy, community involvement, accomplishments, and overall satisfaction with the training experience was created and sent to 361 graduates across a variety of formats; one hundred and thirty-five individuals completed the measure. Results: The findings suggest that program completion had a lasting impact on participants’ disability-related knowledge, advocacy, and self-assessed ability to create change in disability-related policy. Specifically, a majority of the graduates affirmed increases in leadership skills, leadership ability, and sense of empowerment. In addition, graduates reported increased feelings of connectedness to others with similar life experiences, with a majority even reporting increased quality of life due to participation. Conclusions: Use of a structured training program in leadership and advocacy to increase perceived self-efficacy in disability policy advocacy and leadership is supported. Graduates’ qualitative comments reveal enduring community activism and engagement in systems change, including statewide and national disability-related policy advocacy, years after completing the program.
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, United States

  • Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, United States

  • Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, United States

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