Hillside Pride – Friends and family joined dozens of Hillside employees at the Rochester Pride Parade on July 18. We shared Hillside-branded gifts with attendees while celebrating the culture and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. We also know that there’s much more work to do beyond celebrations and acknowledgments. A new LGBTQ+ Working Group will support the creation and maintenance of an inclusive Hillside culture. The group will develop recommendations for gender-inclusive greetings, create inclusive and affirming policies, and develop supportive resources specific to youth, families, and staff.
Implicit Bias Training – We’re launching an exciting trial of an updated program designed to explore the impact of implicit bias on hiring practices. The program will look at the use of gendered language in job descriptions, strategies to perform outreach to diversify our pools of applicants for any given job, and best practices for conducting respectful and professional interviews.
Executive Leadership – Work in the DE&I space is woven throughout all levels at Hillside. Our Executive DE&I Council (EDEIC) drives a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion by fostering innovative actions that make full use of the contributions of all employees. At our most recent EDEIC meeting, discussion topics ranged from the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Affirmative Action decision to ways to engage our staff and community in the upcoming National Voter Registration Day on September 19.