About the Cultural Competence and Undoing Institutional Racism Initiative
Vision
Senior Services is committed to building cultural competence and undoing institutional racism in our organization. Our mission directs us to promote the emotional, social and physical well-being of all older adults. Through our long-term commitment to the Cultural Competence and Undoing Institutional Racism Initiative, Senior Services aims to become an organization in which:
- Staff and customers from communities of color, LGBT communities, immigrants and refugees, and other diverse communities feel more respected and valued, and value our services more.
- Our services are more culturally accessible and relevant to individuals of diverse backgrounds, and are recognized as such in the community.
- Community members from communities of color, LGBT communities, immigrants and refugees, and other diverse communities experience improved health and well being, with more of their basic needs being addressed by the social/human services system.
- They also experience more opportunities for civic engagement through volunteerism and other avenues.
- The community has a stronger, more capable network of service providers due to collaboration which helps to lay the foundation for increased success in the future.
Strategies
How do we make this happen? A staff-led Cultural Competence Committee and individual work groups lead the initiative. Currently, we are focusing on the following goals.
1. Building Common Language and Long-Term Commitment Throughout the Organization
Key Strategies: ongoing trainings, conversations, and gatherings focusing on learning more about oppression, institutional racism, cultural competence, classism, and more.
2. Improved Accountability to the Community
Key Strategies: evaluate how well our services meet needs of diverse people; improve outreach and the feedback loop with our clients and community members through focus groups, one-on-one meetings, and surveys; deepen our relationships with organizations that specialize in serving people of color, immigrants and refugees, LGBT individuals, and more.
3. Creating a More Welcoming Environment
Key Strategies: create a culture that is more welcoming of diverse people; improve organization’s response to injustice; create physical spaces that display diversity.
4. Systemic Change at the Institutional Level
Key Strategies: ongoing training on oppression and cultural competence from year to year; review and improve human resources policies and practices; incorporate cultural competence expectations in contracts.
At the same time, trainings and ongoing discussions will feature an analysis of all oppression. We have also come to understand that our organization should also begin with an understanding of institutional racism, given Senior Services’ particular history.
We wish to thank the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation for their generous support of the Cultural Competence Initiative.