This lesson presents an outline of what patient advocates do, the pathways into advocacy, and professional codes of conduct and ethics. You will learn ways to apply your current knowledge to a career in patient advocacy and what a day in the life of a patient advocate looks like. This lesson sets the stage for the Boot Camp course.

You’ll learn how to field initial client contacts, how to conduct inquiry calls, what to say to potential clients, what questions to ask, how to help potential clients get what they need, and how to document these conversations. You will also learn how to identify a client’s readiness for hiring you.

How do you know if a potential client is a good match for you and your skills? This lesson will give you the tools you need to make this determination. We’ll also teach you how to move forward with the first steps in providing advocacy services, which include client contracts and how to receive payment for services.

You will learn how to conduct in-depth client assessments based on open-ended questions and reflective listening. You will receive examples of in-depth assessments and guidance on how to complete them. You will learn what questions to ask and how to ask them. The in-depth assessment sets the stage for the Action Plan, the road map for your advocacy services.

We’ll teach you how to create an Action Plan that you can use to guide your advocacy services. Following a plan will help make your work consistent and efficient. In this lesson you’ll review the steps to putting an Action Plan together and get access to a template that you can make your own.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to present an Action Plan to a client. You’ll also learn how to implement those steps. We’ll teach you how to assess and reassess your client’s needs, and how to manage their expectations and keep them informed throughout the engagement.