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| This initiative is a project of the National Human Services Assembly and is generously funded by The Kresge Foundation.
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| Hammer Home the Building Well-Being Narrative with the Construction Metaphor
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The explanatory construction metaphor is integral to a well-framed Building Well-Being Narrative because it provides the public with a more complete and productive picture of what human services are and how they work by relating them to something that is more easily and intuitively understood. This prevents the public from defaulting to inaccurate cultural models that lead to narrow views of well-being and how human services support it. - Providing a complete definition of how human services, and the experts who provide them, promote well-being.
- Explaining how human services help when conditions, such as a struggling economy or an illness, disrupt or impede well-being.
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| Applying the Construction Metaphor People understand that a building is constructed by a team of experts, needs a solid foundation and quality materials, and will require updates and repairs over time. Talking about human services in the context of building well-being helps people to see the work our sector does as valuable, lifelong investments requiring a range of expertise and resources—including prevention and intervention services, research, planning, and advocacy. In order to frame your work with the construction metaphor, we recommend: - Taking some time to brainstorm common construction terms and concepts such as those below, thinking about all of the expertise, processes, and materials that go into planning, constructing, and maintaining a building
- Blueprint, plan, design, build, construct, foundation, scaffolding, tools, bricks, mortar, resources, frame, structure, floor, stories, wall, roof, house, specialists, repairs, maintenance
- Considering how your programs, issues and priorities can be described using these terms and connecting them to the metaphor
- Drafting language in the context of construction that describes how your programs support well-being and address negative impacts on well-being, such as the below
- Shaky foundations, missing materials, inadequate resources, life’s unpredictable storms
- Using the below examples for inspiration
Real World Examples We have excerpted below exemplary language using the construction metaphor from various National Reframing Initiative partners’ communications.
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Alliance for Strong Families and Communities’ Public Policy Platform "Our strategic action network of hundreds of social sector organizations across the nation works with millions of people each day to help them build, maintain, and restore their physical, emotional, social, and economic well-being…To guide our policy focus and collective advocacy efforts, the Alliance network launched a series of conversations to identify the foundational and structural building blocks that all families and communities need to foster well-being over the lifespan…"
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| Caritas of Austin’s About Us Statement "Caritas of Austin believes that when every person has a stable place to call home, they can realize their full potential and contribute to our community. We build wellbeing by making sure that people have a safe home, access to healthy groceries, jobs that provide a reliable living wage, and educational opportunities to learn life skills. All of us need a sturdy foundation and layers of support in our lives to thrive; that’s what creates a strong community…"
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Human Services Collaborative of Greater Peoria’ feature article for InterBusiness Issues Magazine "Well-being is built just like a home is built. A home is not a collection of boards and nails and shingles. It contains all those pieces and more, but it doesn’t become a great place to live until everything is correctly fastened together. Similarly, a community provides well-being when everyone can access economic stability as well as educational, cultural and social opportunities; everyone has medical care; and everyone feels cared for and safe…"
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Email Bridget Gavaghan, Director of the National Reframing Initiative to share your examples of reframing with the construction metaphor.
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| SPOTLIGHT Implementation Guide - Module 3: Sustaining Reframing
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Module 3 of the Implementation Guide offers tips, guidance, tools and resources on Sustaining Reframing, or fully integrating reframing into overall communications and maintaining consistent reframing into the future. Sustainability is achieved when reframing is established as the lens through which to make communications, development, and policy decisions across the organization. Module 3 recommends creating a standardized and comprehensive structure through examples of internal documents such as brand guidelines, protocols and strategy documents. Finally, Module 3 offers some suggestions for funding reframing.
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We have a robust set of free tools to better equip you integrating this new narrative into your communications strategies.
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Contact Us
For more information on how your organization can join the reframing mobilization, or for any questions about this newsletter or the online tools or website information, please contact the Initiative's Director, Bridget Gavaghan at bgavaghan@nassembly.org.
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