Strategic Plan Definitions

Please consider this short guide on what the Foundation means by some of the terms in its new strategic plan.

Overall, the plan states: Reduce the impact of trauma and housing instability on youth and families.  We mean trauma and/or housing, and we mean youth and/or families. 

Trauma–A response to a real or perceived threat. It can be experienced by an individual or a community. Trauma can lead to adverse effects that damage health, relationships and personal development and impact daily living, such as parenting, education and work.

Refer to the RMAPI guiding principles for definitions and examples.

SAMHSA is the leading resource for trauma-informed care and trauma response.

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs)–is a term given to describe all types of events and circumstances- abuse, neglect, and other traumatic experiences – that occur to individuals under the age of 18.   They harm children’s developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later; they cause much of chronic disease, most mental illness, and are at the root of most violence.

Kaiser Permanente and the CDC are the main resource for understanding ACEs.

SAMHSA is another resource for ACEs.

Resilience–a combination of protective factors that enable people to adapt in the face of serious hardship, and is essential to ensuring that those who experience adversity can still become healthy, productive citizens.

The APA and the Rand Corporation have interesting materials for consideration.

Family—a unit of one or more adult caretakers with responsibility for one or more youth

Youth—ages 24 and below

Housing instability—paying more than 30% of monthly income on rent and utilities.  There are other mitigating factors to consider beyond the finances, including health and safety, discrimination, access and location. 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition provides knowledge and state-by-state data on housing costs and income needs.