Prioritizing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within the CAMHD

Written by the CAMHD Management Team // July 26, 2021

 

During the pandemic, and certainly throughout our lifetimes, we all have witnessed horrific atrocities committed against Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and individuals in the sexual and gender minorities.

We believe that this hate, violence, and systemic oppression are unequivocally intolerable.

The CAMHD is committed to providing services affirming the race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity of both the youth and families we serve and the staff and community members we partner with. We acknowledge that we have not always lived up to this vision and resolve to do better in our policies, activities, and work.

At present, the CAMHD staff are proud of the Safe Spaces and Block Grant Committees, who have launched a FREE series of small and large group trainings for community providers working with LGBTQ+ youth and their families. We are also proud of the LGBTQ+ trainings we have provided to the Department of Education and the work that we have done with Crisis Intervention Teams to infuse mental health supports more effectively into the Department of Public Safety. Lastly, we are thrilled that our staff and MAX data system have been better at collecting valuable demographic data such as specific ethnicity/race and gender identity, so that we can more successfully determine both who we are serving and how to improve.

Looking to the future, we plan to embed our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion more deeply into our policies, procedures, and upcoming strategic plan. We are also exploring the idea of developing a committee that focuses on instilling these principles throughout our system, holding relevant trainings, maintaining awareness of cultural changes and best and promising practices as they arise, implementing continuous improvements and evaluating our progress. We hope that this statement demonstrates our renewed commitment to a better, more just future for our community.

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“If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside of yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is – living not for oneself, but for one’s community.”

– Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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“Mōhala i ka wai ka maka o ka pua.”

“Flowers thrive where there is water, as people thrive where the conditions are good
Flowers thrive where there is water, as thriving people are found where living conditions are good.”

– ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, collected translated and annotated by Mary Kawena Pukui

 

Last reviewed on July 26, 2021