The Full Frame Initiative

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Having Allies and Being an Ally: a Full Frame Initiative Foray into Race & Equity

The Full Frame Initiative (FFI) recently began an intentional examination into how, as an organization, it can step up its efforts as a racial equity champion. This summer, I was invited to a day-long conversation with a small group of FFI partners and allies to a consultative session “to inform the design of a process and structure that would allow FFI to better address the critical intersection of wellbeing, race and oppression.” Having been on the staff of FFI and now serving as an FFI Senior Fellow, I was excited to participate. Moreover, as an African American woman and “social justice warrior” I was especially eager to explore this critical topic with the leadership of FFI and several admired colleagues. We were able to have a relatively candid conversation that day: about the challenges of advocating for racial equity within the systems that stubbornly uphold status quo policy and practice despite their rhetoric; about the dearth of funding that incentivizes and supports a shift to equitable practice and policy; about the difficult conversation race and racism is in diverse company; and about how an organization like FFI, which has been predominantly “white,” steps into and embraces an appropriate role. The conversation was a forthright beginning, and together with a follow-up conversation I led with some of the other participants, some concrete recommendations were lifted up, upon which FFI can act. Additionally, the conversation revealed some important process points that can inform FFI’s actions as an ally of organizations of color at the forefront of the movement to undo systemic and systematic racism within the human services sector and beyond.

With regard to recommendations upon which FFI can take action, there are several building blocks in FFI’s existing approach and Five Domains of Wellbeing framework to build from. These strengths include:

  • A focus on people from marginalized communities who are not inherently broken but who struggle mightily because of/in spite of the conditions that confront them in toxic environments
  • A desire to co-create (read: recognize that solutions cannot be prescribed from outside these communities) conditions that are more supportive of wellbeing
  • A strengths-focus, that assumes that all people (even those, maybe even especially those, in the “deep-end of the deep-end”) have strengths and assets to build from
  • Movement building, which acknowledges that programs that fix people are not the answer, but that the challenges faced by marginalized communities are systemic and require a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained effort by many stakeholders
  • That value-based structural changes are the only means to transformed institutions, policies and practices that currently maintain inequity and disproportionality

One recommendation is for FFI to use its influence to ensure that the voice and participation of intended beneficiaries of color center any discussions/decisions about what works to support their pursuit of wellbeing. For each of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, FFI is encouraged to include even more explicit descriptions of how each domain is experienced by people of color at the intersection of poverty, violence and trauma. For example, how does being African American or Latino affect one’s perception of safety when one’s very identity is questioned or debased or serves as the basis for racial profiling? FFI should revisit existing documents, communications and training materials and make a focus on race equity more explicit (for example, by incorporating more cases, examples and statements that name people of color and their struggles and triumphs in striving for the same respect and opportunity available to others). FFI had already taken steps to make changes based on these recommendations and is continuing to do so.

With regard to FFI’s actions as an ally of organizations of color at the forefront of the race equity movement to undo racism, FFI intends to courageously delve into the question of what being such an ally means.  The answers are not so simple, and I for one am glad that FFI recognizes this. I know that FFI has made serious attempts to diversify its staff and create a more inclusive environment where all staff contribute their value. In the meantime, how does an organization like FFI, which has been predominantly “white,” lead without minimizing the leadership of organizations of color? Are there specific realms of action that FFI should lead on versus follow? And given the hard-scrabble existence non-profits have to grow or even sustain their own work, where do FFI and allies find the space, time and resources required to build the trust necessary to forge strong, diverse racial equity partnerships? And yet it starts simply by recognizing the importance of sincerely asking these questions and acting responsively. I know that FFI is serious about asking and answering the tough questions and will seek able consultation to help them in developing a long-range plan of action. FFI recognizes the critical importance of engaging informed allies in its networks for change; it is encouraging that it recognizes also the critical importance of being/becoming an informed, engaged ally for/with others in the common ground network for race equity.

Audrey Jordan is FFI’s Senior Fellow of  Community Engagement. Through her fellowship, she is exploring ways to “translate” and document how the Five Domains of Wellbeing are understood by people and communities with lived experience with poverty, violence and trauma.

Fried Clams, Shampoo and Wellbeing

Have you ever been in the hospital and asked a loved one to stop by your favorite spot to get you a treat? Maybe it was that banana split from your favorite ice cream parlor or the wings that you eat every Sunday while you watch the game with your friends. That treat represented some type of normalcy in the midst of a situation where you might not have had much control.

We all seek to build stability in our lives through creating rituals of predictability or habits. The Full Frame Initiative often refers to these as anchors. They are incredibly important to our wellbeing, but may not make sense or may seem trivial to others. These small practices and habits are especially critical in moments of uncertainty.

Everyone has a right to wellbeing, but not everyone has equal access to it. One way Full Frame organizations support program participants’ wellbeing is by allowing staff to have flexible roles so that they can prioritize what matters most to each person they work with. This includes prioritizing things that may—from the outside—seem trivial.

One member of our Greater Boston Full Frame Network, On The Rise in Cambridge, MA, understands that the roles their staff play in the lives of the homeless women who are part of their community might be seen as unorthodox in more traditional agencies. On a recent visit to On The Rise, a couple of front line staff told me stories of hospital visits to the women they work with, and the support they provided.

One advocate talked about how, on her way to visit a participant in the hospital, she stopped at this woman’s favorite spot to pick her up her favorite dish—a heaping plate of fried clams. In relaying the story, the advocate wanted me to understand the significance of this: that staff at On The Rise don’t dictate to people what they need because of their situation. Instead, they let the person decide what is helpful. Another advocate from OTR recounted a story of a woman who has been in the hospital for two years and continues her relationship with On The Rise. The woman called up the advocate and gave her a detailed list of very specific soaps and shampoos to bring to her. This is an example of someone who is really trying to hold onto the routines that contribute to her stability, not someone who is being picky or difficult.

From the outside, bringing someone clams or shampoo may not seem like a traditional staff role or equate to formal program service delivery. But Full Frame organizations have a completely different approach to the work—one that makes them particularly effective in supporting people’s wellbeing. On The Rise sanctions flexibility of staff roles because that is what is required. Their staff members understand that Full Frame work will often challenge the traditional notion of boundaries and of what constitutes services. However, navigating the messiness of that process is worth it to them because it’s the best approach for the women they work with.

Leora Viega Rifkin was FFI’s Network Engagement Manager. She staffed the Greater Boston Full Frame Network and in her role spent time at the member programs to document how Full Frame practice looks in a variety of practice settings. For a list of Greater Boston Full Frame Network members, click here.

Partners at Missouri Division of Youth Services present at Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative conference

Trichia Long and Jennifer Booher from Missouri Division of Youth Services presented a workshop at the annual Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative conference in Springfield, MO at the end of June. They introduced the Five Domains of Wellbeing to an audience of juvenile officers, judges, detention supervisors, private residential managers and Office of State Courts Administrators staff members. Trichia and Jennifer facilitated a rich discussion on putting a focus on people’s wellbeing and understanding tradeoffs. The participants were interested and engaged, recognizing some of the system’s barriers to wellbeing but eager to learn more about the framework. We thank Trichia and Jennifer for their expert facilitation skills and continually strong partnership with FFI!

 

 

Taking action to move from services to social change

FFI has released a report and action plan calling for the Domestic and Sexual Violence field to reclaim its social justice roots, critically examine how it responds to the reality of DV/SA survivors’ lives (especially when the violence is not the only challenge being faced) and move forward in new ways to ensure that survivors, their families, and their communities are part of efforts and services that recognize their assets and strengths. This report draws heavily upon the work and perspectives of the members of FFI’s newly launched DSV Cohort Demonstration Project, and is informed by FFI’s statewide project in CA examining how survivors and other stakeholders define survivor success.  It discusses the current “state of the field”; outlines the Cohort’s action plan; and includes a summary of the initial summit of the national DSV Cohort and allies Atlanta in December 2013. The DSV Cohort recently reconvened in Indianapolis for two-days, to start moving on the action plan. For more information, please contact Anna Melbin.

DSV Cohort Group Indy June 2014