Creating a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging
Eliot Community Human Services, Inc (Eliot) DEI Council seeks to ensure that every employee has a voice in Eliot’s mission to achieve equity while embracing any and all dimensions of diversity.
Eliot’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
Eliot is committed to identifying and dismantling barriers that prevent people with marginalized racial identities from actualizing their full employment potential, assuming leadership roles, or from fully engaging at all levels in the workplace. We will strive to operationalize policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that produce equitable power, access, and employment opportunities for all people. We are committed to providing a respectful, supportive workplace culture that welcomes and celebrates the diverse social identities of our staff.
Eliot’s DEI Strategic Plan:
Through a series of DEI focused listening sessions and an agency wide survey, provided to our staff in 2020, Eliot staff were asked to identify DEI areas or subjects of concern within the workplace.
The highest priorities identified by our staff centered around improved communication by the agency about DEI related topics and initiatives, more DEI focused training for staff and supervisors and finally, more hiring and advancement opportunities for staff of color. Based upon these priorities Eliot’s DEI Strategic Plan was developed and focused on the following three initiatives:
- Communication
- Training
- Recruitment, Retention and Promotion
Within the Council, three separate committees have been formed to work on each initiative.
The goal is to be able to implement the entire strategic plan by June 2024.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council:
The Council is composed of Eliot Staff who represent all divisions across the agency. It includes union staff, management and non-management staff, as well as senior and executive staff representation. The make up of the Council is intentional in order to ensure all voices of the agency are heard and all levels of the organization are a part of the initiative.
At Eliot, the DEI Council recognizes and appreciates the importance of creating an environment in which all employees feel heard and included in order to create a safe space to do their best work and bring great ideas to the table. We recognize that each employee’s unique experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints add value to our ability to create and deliver the best possible service to our clients.
DEI Council Mission Statement:
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council will be the driving force behind ensuring a welcoming, inclusive and safe working environment through compassionate leadership, training, education and advocacy.
The DEI Council will lead the effort to instill in the organizational culture, the values, beliefs and behaviors that will recognize, respect and value the diversity of both employees and persons served.