An abundance of thought and prayer went into determining our name. Guiding this decision were the following key principles:

  1. The charitable intent driving the work of the organization.
  2. Privacy so casually hearing/seeing the name won’t evoke stigmatization in our clients.
  3. Flexibility for future expansion into non-mental health areas
  4. Easy name recognition and memorability.
  5. An acronym that lends to creative marketing potential.

Conversely, we rejected name concepts that would identify specific diagnoses or overly complex terminology. We also completed searches on the Internet as well as the N.C. Secretary of State’s Office to ensure we didn’t duplicate an already existing organization.  And, the name gives flexibility for future expansion.

While there are other organizations that include Sustaining Hope or the acronym SHHIP, there are none that are exact matches. none that we can find are close matches for the entire name. Of the organizations known as SHHIP, they are either hyper-local or do not focus on healthcare.  We will explore trademarking with our business law attorney during the incorporation process.

Sustaining Hope

Central to our work is strengthening and supporting (sustaining) caregivers in complex parenting situations. The source of all strength, we believe, comes in the everlasting hope of Jesus Christ. Through a Gospel lens, we can provide hope through support, advocacy and accountability. These topics will be discussed in subsequent sections.

For

This small preposition is the hinge on which we swing. We are for parents. There are many, many great organizations that work various aspects of mental health, healthcare and parenting challenges. We will be hyper-focused on helping parents.

High Impact

What defines a high impact parent? It’s not a perfect science. It is a parent whose life has been highly impacted by the complex needs of their child. It goes beyond normal daily struggles. It generally begins with severe diagnoses and by the time they experience a hospitalization or mental health crisis, we’re firmly in the camp of high impact.

Parents The word parents is used here as a big-tent for legal guardians of children. This would be inclusive of biological and adoptive parents as well as those who have guardianship of their children. Additionally, we will work with foster parents and kinship caregivers, who still must get healthcare decisions approved by social workers.