Interrupt Racism: Hillside continues to engage with local community organizers to disrupt and dismantle structural and institutional racism. This year, a diverse working committee of Hillside employees, representing all levels of the agency, is receiving training and support from the Urban League of Rochester’s Interrupt Racism program. This yearlong initiative is helping our people more deeply address issues around racial equity in our specific context: By identifying inequitable policies, practices, and behaviors, we’re working to create an environment where all employees can thrive.
DE&I Living Action Plan: This living document has been developed to describe Hillside’s continuously evolving commitment to learning and setting tangible goals and concrete actions for all members of our community regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Living Action Plan charts a path that keeps review, reflection, and renewal at its core.
Priorities for the next year, outlined in the Living Action Plan, include the following:
- Vendors—we’ll assess minority and woman-owned vendors engaged by Hillside throughout the agency.
- Communications—we’ll strengthen Hillside’s messaging on the many ways in which DE&I is critical to our work, and communicate the “why” of DE&I work to all employees.
- Leadership Development & Training—we’ll develop opportunities to learn about un/conscious bias and microaggressions that may be experienced by employees and individuals we serve.
- Data Analytics—we’ll expand demographic data to reflect our employees and the individuals more accurately we serve.