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This initiative is a project of the National Human Services Assembly and is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.
We're all in this together
In the March 9 newsletter, we talked about how right now the public is primed to understand issues and process information through the “separate fates” cultural model, the belief that what happens to an individual only affects that individual and their immediate circle. This perspective masks the collective benefits of human services, making it harder to secure the public’s support for the range of policies and programs that help build physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

We can neutralize the separate fates model by using plain language to articulate the societal benefits of programs and policies. Take the debate around health care. Health care access has long been framed primarily as a benefit for individuals. Through this frame, though it is unfortunate when someone doesn’t have access to the health care they need, the perception is that it doesn’t impact the broader community.

In the recent attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, for example, advocates highlighted the estimated 24 million Americans who were expected to lose insurance under Speaker Ryan’s American Health Care Act. In the short-term, the data point was strong enough to help keep the repeal plan from passing. But in the long-term, the message plays into the separate fates model by highlighting the implications for individuals (24 million will lose their insurance) without defining what it means to our society when people don’t have insurance.

With some small changes to the message, which FrameWorks Institute recommends below, we can shift away from the separate fates model and towards a model of “interdependence,” where the ways in which we all benefit are explicitly included in the conversation.
The health care debate is far from over, with proposals to make significant changes to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act looming on the horizon. We anticipate similar debates about a range of human services that have traditionally been framed as primarily benefitting the individual participants, such as education, early childhood development, nutrition assistance, services for older people, and violence prevention. Our advocacy efforts will benefit greatly by affirming the ways in which we all benefit from these services.
We’re thrilled to share the FrameWorks Institute’s recently released the Gaining Momentum Toolkit, a collection of research and tools designed to help reframe aging in America. The toolkit includes guidance on developing communications pieces, from blog posts to tweets, that engage the public in productive conversations about the policies, programs, and practices that are needed foster healthy aging.
We’re always excited to see how organizations are using the Building Well-Being narrative in their communications. If you have examples of communications that include the reframing human services recommendations, please send them to Bridget Gavaghan.

In the meantime, the National Reframing Initiative team continues to spread the reframing word to human service organizations across the country. Recent mobilization efforts included:
  • Conducting a workshop at the Salvation Army’s national conference in Philadelphia.
  • A return trip to Bellevue, WA to work with Eastside Human Services Forum and then a quick flight across the state to Spokane for the WA State Community Action Partnership Bi-Annual Conference (image below).

Upcoming: Are you in the New York City area? Consider attending the Not-for-Profit Leadership Summit hosted by United Way of Westchester and Putnam in Tarrytown, New York on May 1. Ilsa Flanagan will be the breakfast keynote for the day. Read more or register.
If you’re interested in bringing a reframing presentation, workshop, or webinar to your network, contact Ilsa Flanagan, Director of the National Reframing Initiative, for details.
We have a robust set of free tools to better equip you integrating this new narrative into your communications strategies.
Contact Us
For more information on how your organization can join the reframing mobilization, please contact Ilsa Flanagan at iflanagan@nassembly.org.
For any questions about this newsletter or the online tools or website information, please contact Bridget Gavaghan at bgavaghan@nassembly.org.

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