2a:  This advocacy issue stemmed from a real incident with a client and is one I am still pursuing.  In fact, just this week I finally got the ear of my director and she is ready and willing to work towards implementing this plan in order to help improve conditions for this and other children impacted by a lack of training and accountability onboard special education school buses.  Affecting change on this advocacy issue will and has involved engaging both families, community organizations, and public schools, understanding the policy behind current practice and figuring out a way to affect change where resistance towards accepting help is very likely.

2b: The issue presented here is another case within the community in which change needs to be affected, and like the previous, I have my directors ear on implementing a plan for improving this program, which is currently creating stressful conditions for children who need a safe and positive environment, not only during the summer, but throughout the year.  There is no malice, just chaos created by a lack of planning and understanding of basic behavioral principles, especially those of positive reinforcement and group think dynamics.

2c: Creating collaborative relationships between schools, families, and community organizations at times feels like a daunting task, especially since there is so much mistrust deeply embedded within a lot of these relationships, but I have several projects getting ready to enter the implementation phase, which will take steps towards creating exactly these types of relationships.  Just this week I had the opportunity to take significant steps towards repairing a challenged relationship with a family, while also making a connection within the community.  It was a stressful situation where a lot of assumptions had been made, but once all parties got into the same room, a productive conversation led to necessary change.

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