A Life for A Life Foundation is dedicated to transforming lives and communities by addressing unresolved trauma and mental health challenges through advocacy, education, and direct services in the interconnected program strategies of: Awareness & Advocacy, Curriculum Development, Research, and Prison and Community Reentry Services.
Awareness and Advocacy
IMPACT GOAL
To dismantle stigma and spark a cultural transformation around mental health and healing—driven by truth, advocacy, and the power of lived experience.
- Distribute A Life for A Life nationwide as a tool for education and healing.
- Participate in speaking engagements to share lived experiences and promote public dialogue.
- Collaborate with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at both the national and chapter levels.
- Partner with Fund for City of New York to support outreach & education efforts.
- Offer the book and related resources for purchase through e-commerce website.
- Engage local and state government on initiatives that support awareness and policy change.
- Advocate for mental health and trauma-informed policies at local, state, and national levels.
Curriculum Development
IMPACT GOAL
To provide individuals—especially those affected by trauma and incarceration—with the tools and knowledge to foster healing, resilience, and lasting personal growth, while contributing to reduced recidivism and the restoration of human dignity.
- Develop a comprehensive educational curriculum inspired by A Life for a Life: Poor Choices and Unresolved Trauma Is Killing America, in collaboration with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Healing Cities.
- Distribute the curriculum to high schools, colleges, correctional facilities, and mental health professionals to promote trauma-informed education.
- Make the curriculum accessible for purchase and download through the organization’s website.
Research
IMPACT GOAL
To help shape a justice system grounded in lived experience, driven by truth and accountability, and supported by data—one that truly recognizes and respects human dignity.
- Partner with the Center for HIV and Mental Health Stigma Elimination Strategies (CHIMES) at Johns Hopkins—Bloomberg School of Public Health.
- Lead a nationwide research effort focused on trauma and its impact on incarcerated individuals, high school students, and the broader community—anchored in the themes explored in A Life For A Life.
- Work in partnership with the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to advance research that bridges clinical insight and community experience.
Prison and Community Reentry Services
IMPACT GOAL
Break the cycle of incarceration with trauma-informed support. And help men and women reenter society successfully.
- Place licensed social workers in prisons to offer trauma support.
- Provide continued mental health support after release.