Policy and Advocacy Initiative

A vital component in the movement toward justice, equity, and healing for the youth and families we serve at Lincoln is in social political change. It is Lincoln’s responsibility and priority to engage in all levels of advocacy to strengthen our work in schools and communities, to remove barriers to care, and to advance racial justice and equity. This means listening to the needs of community and transforming this information into action toward change. Lincoln is delighted to share the breadth and depth of our advocacy work that has influenced systemic change since we embarked on this initiative in 2017. 

Lincoln’s policy and advocacy work has invested in applied research related to public policy issues to inform strategic involvement in social movements and collective action. A pivotal part of this initiative has been in the engagement of community and Lincoln staff to evaluate social programs, leverage opportunities to think critically and strategically about how programs align with need, and utilize this knowledge to translate need into action. In 2020 as our work went digital, staff are increasingly involved in the decision making process and direct advocacy, raising their capacity to participate in sociopolitical change. 

The two main components of this initiative are systemic change, as reflected in our policy agenda, and grassroots community organizing, as sustained through our staff advocacy groups. Our work in both spaces involves tracking and supporting legislation, advocating for reform, learning from impacted communities, participating in city, county, and state coalitions, conducting research, and providing public comments on issues. 

Driven by staff and community at every level, our policy and advocacy work serves as a reckoning and realignment to better serve those most impacted by oppression.