Since 2016, the Providers’ Council has increased our efforts in promoting race, diversity and inclusion initiatives for our members. We created a Race, Diversity and Inclusion Committee which strives to create communities of respect, tolerance and inclusion within the human services sector and the communities in which we live and work. Our objective is to broaden awareness and understanding within our racial, ethnic, gender, faith, nationalities and other identities by embracing diversity through knowledge, practice, and advocacy.
Our most popular program is the two-day Healing Racism Seminar facilitated by The Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley. This two-day signature program starts a community-level dialogue about the intersection of race and the history of racism that raises awareness, but also challenges how people define diversity as well as how people view themselves and others. They also facilitate a one-day Cracking the Codes/The System of Racial Inequity session which also includes deeper conversation on racial inequity, history of discrimination, white privilege, and internal and external factors. The Council has had nearly 200 members attend one of theses experiences, including over half of our board of directors.