Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives
Oriana House has a long-standing commitment to support equality, diversity, and justice for all people and is committed to finding ways to identify and reduce prejudices.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
The agency’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee was formed in 2020, when Oriana House President and CEO Jim Lawrence sought and received staff input on improving the agency’s efforts to build equitable, stronger communities. The DEI Committee is comprised of staff from all levels with diverse backgrounds, and new members are always welcomed. The Committee’s goals are to create new ideas and platforms for education, growth, and initiatives in the areas of DEI and assist in the development of sustained, evidence-backed, and engaging programming.
DEI Committee Initiatives
DEI Staff Survey
As a first step, a survey to gage the attitudes, values, and beliefs of the current staff was developed and implemented in 2021 with the guidance of a non-staff committee member with a Ph.D. in Sociology. The survey allowed anonymous participation from staff and had a return rate of 66%.
The majority (~90%) of employees felt Oriana House did as well or better than other organizations when it came to handling inclusion and discrimination. Survey data covered demographics, work environment, leadership, hiring and retention, interpersonal interactions, and programming. The survey results were shared with all staff are used to drive many of the actions of the committee. A follow up survey was conducted in 2023 to offer updated information and comparative data. In that survey, 94% of respondents strongly agreed, agreed, or were neutral about the statement, "I would encourage an applicant seeking a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment to apply to Oriana House." Ninety six percent of respondents felt that DEI is prioritized at Oriana House.
Trainings
A professional DEI Education trainer was hired to present an in-depth, mandatory training series to address basic knowledge, history, terminology and ways to interact with individuals from varied backgrounds, including culture, race, sexual identity, and more. Separate trainings were designed for frontline staff and for supervisors who needed to learn ways to address sensitive topics with and between their staff.
To continue the educational process, Oriana House’s Staff Development Department offers on-going staff trainings on a variety of DEI topics. Additional learning opportunities include commercial media such as documentaries, movies, books and programs that allow staff to get training independently.
Email Snippets
To keep DEI in the forefront, staff receive weekly email “snippets” that allow for short and meaningful educational opportunities to encourage self-examination on a multitude of potential situations that might create exclusion of others.
Recognizing Celebratory Days
Oriana House now holds staff celebrations of Juneteenth (June 19th) and the DEI Committee has incorporated interactive ways for staff in all locations to commemorate days or months that are designated for various groups and causes. Some of the topics and events include Black History Month, LGBTQ+, disability rights and awareness, autism acceptance, transformative justice, Korean American Day, Women's History Month, Veterans Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples' Day, and more.
Community Collaborations
Oriana House has partnered with local health departments, hospitals, community groups, and businesses to share lessons on healthcare disparities, enhance DEI efforts, participate in local festivals and events, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Client Involvement
Individuals involved in Oriana House correctional and behavioral health treatment programs have participated in facilitated discussion groups with counseling staff to help process feelings around injustice and disparity and they participate in many of the activities the DEI Committee plans.