In the fall of 2019 we engaged consultants to help us develop an anti-racist stance as an organization, in our policies, procedures, culture and clinical practices. We could not have known at the time what would unfold in May 2020.
We did not put out a statement in support of Black Lives Matter immediately following the murder of George Floyd. Without question we support and believe that Black Lives Matter, but to put out a statement quickly would just be performative activism. We wanted to be able to be rooted in the actions we are taking and plan to take so that any statement would be more than words.
As a white culture organization, we are firmly committed to deconstructing institutional racism, white supremacy, and associated constructs. We are doing this initially by:
- Holding space for acknowledging and addressing historical injuries experienced by our staff.
- All staff have been provided a copy of How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Hiring qualified black and brown administrative and clinical employees. Were are investigating partnerships with local college and university programs to support the professional development of black and brown students to make employment within our organization and similar companies equitable.
- Engaging trainers who can specifically support our clinical staff to address racism, marginalization, and white identity development in clinical work.
- Initially focused on the leadership team, we will work with consultants to help us increase awareness of our own biases, racist positions, and actions we can take to develop an anti-racist practice.
We will be adding more information on our Organizational Culture page to report on our actions.
