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This initiative is a project of the National Human Services Assembly and is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Getting Creative with the Construction Metaphor
In the last newsletter, we discussed the importance of using the research-tested Construction metaphor within the context of the Building Well-Being Narrative to elevate public understanding of human services. The Construction metaphor helps us do two things.
  1. Provide a complete definition of how human services, and the experts who provide them, promote well-being.
  2. Explain how human services help when conditions, such as a struggling economy or an illness, disrupt or impede well-being.
We know that people rely on deeply held Cultural Models to fill in knowledge gaps. The dominant Cultural Models that the public default to on human services, as identified by FrameWorks Institute and summarized in their "Swamp of Human Services," lead to a narrow view of what well-being is and what the solutions are for fostering and repairing well-being. The Construction metaphor helps us provide the public with a more complete and productive view by connecting our work to a concept that they more intuitively understand.
Once we have established that link between well-being and construction, we can transition to the next plot point, extending the metaphor to explain the conditions that can get in the way of well-being.
“Just as poor construction can make a house unstable, the well-being of people who have not received enough support in life can be threatened when they do not have the social relationships, community resources, and opportunities to thrive that they need. And when people’s well-being is unstable, a bad break in life—such as graduating from school during a recession or having to care for an aging parent with mental health issues—can, like bad weather, be catastrophic. While people with lots of support can weather the storm, people without enough support may struggle to do so.”
So how do you apply the Construction metaphor to your issue? We recommend taking some time to brainstorm how your issues and priorities can be described using construction concepts. Think about all of the expertise, processes, and materials that go into planning, constructing, and maintaining a building. Consider what would happen if a building was constructed on a shaky foundation or if there weren’t adequate resources to keep the building operating smoothly.

We would love to see how you get creative with the Construction metaphor. Please let us know how it goes by sharing your ideas and your questions with Ilsa Flanagan, Director of the National Reframing Initiative.
A big thank you to the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) for featuring the Reframing Initiative in their most recent Policy & Practice magazine. The article, written by Ilsa Flanagan and Bridget Gavaghan, examines the origins of the National Reframing Initiative and shares insights on how the Building Well-Being narrative can ignite a deeper connection to our work. We hope you enjoy Reframing Public Support for Human Services: How a new initiative is reengaging the public and building understanding for human service programs.
The Assembly, often joined by our partners at FrameWorks Institute, has spent the last few months training human service professionals across the country on the Building Well-Being Narrative. Our travels recently took us to Seattle, where we partnered with the Seattle Human Services Coalition to conduct two half-day workshops for human service leaders in the region. The workshop participants developed some great ideas for applying the new frame to their work. We look forward to our continued work with this creative bunch as they implement the Building Well-Being Narrative into their communications.
If you’re interested in bringing a reframing workshop to your network, contact Ilsa Flanagan, Director of the National Reframing Initiative.
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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