DEI Committee

The mission of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is to influence an organizational culture and advocate for policies in which individuals across all backgrounds are celebrated for their diverse perspectives, experience a sense of belonging, and are supported to achieve their full potential.

Our DEI committee meets twice monthly to explore opportunities to align our work with our guiding values through advocacy, policies, or practice. 

Guiding values

Our DEI Committee has collaboratively developed the following shared values that guide our work:

• Belonging and respect. We believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our community and work to build a culture in which individuals from all backgrounds and intersecting identities can be their authentic selves. We offer and receive respect for who we are, including our differences and similarities.
• Collaboration. We know that complex problems cannot be solved by any one person alone; thus, we seek to facilitate meaningful, diverse collaborations and build robust, interdisciplinary partnerships.
• Shared decision-making. We strive for consensus and utilize a lateral structure in which all voices and perspectives are given equal opportunity to contribute. The ownership and responsibilities of the EFDC DEI Committee belong to every committee member.
• Well-being. We recognize that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are deeply intertwined with overall well-being. We strive to support all aspects of our community’s well-being, including mental, emotional and other aspects.
• Authentic community engagement. We will build equitable partnerships with community organizations that are responsive to the needs and priorities identified by the organizations’ stakeholders.
• Continuous learning and self-assessment. We commit to continuously pursuing knowledge related to diversity, equity, and inclusion as the field evolves. We commit to consistent self-assessment to fill in our gaps in knowledge and potential unawareness, even if and especially when it’s uncomfortable.
• Action and advocacy. We commit ourselves to taking positive action wherever needed to address systems of injustice and harm, strive for meaningful progress, and advocate wherever possible to support the needs of our community.
• Accountability. We hold ourselves accountable to achieve our stated goals, aspire to be transparent in our progress, and always invite feedback.

DEI Committee goals

1. Cultivate an inclusive and equitable workplace culture. 
2. Establish DEI-informed standards for hiring. 
3. Increase our team’s understanding of how mental health and DEI intersect and affect our daily work. 
4. Advance research at the intersection of mental health and DEI. 
5. Increase membership diversity and research that advances the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.

For questions about our DEI Committee, values and practices, contact us.