Messages from the President & CEO
“Change can begin with a single act”: A Message From Hillside President & CEO Maria Cristalli
Maria Cristalli, Hillside’s President and Chief Executive Officer, today shared an open letter with employees concerning a January 29 incident in the City of Rochester. Her message is shared below.
Dear Hillside Colleagues,
Last Friday afternoon, a 9-year-old Rochester child was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police during a response to a nonviolent mental health call. As a member of the Hillside family and as a human being, I am deeply troubled by this heartbreaking incident.
No child should ever be treated this way. Children in distress deserve compassion, support and empathy. This incident is another painful example of the need for sweeping changes in behavioral health services. Hillside has a responsibility to be part of a sincere and action-oriented community conversation on reform.
Additionally, the systemic racism tied to this incident can’t be overlooked. We all understand the linkages between race and a lack of access to vital mental health services. Individually and as an organization, we must stand against all forms of racism and oppression, and support like-minded efforts to do the same.
Hillside leaders have reached out to the newly formed Person in Crisis team at the City of Rochester to offer our support and assistance in working with children experiencing behavioral health challenges. We will also connect with the facilitators of Crisis Intervention Team training to offer assistance on crisis prevention/de-escalation strategies for children.
Complex multigenerational problems can’t be solved overnight, but our work shows us every day that change can begin with a single act. The children and families of the communities we serve—and of all communities—deserve our best efforts.
Maria Cristalli
President and CEO
Hillside
Hillside Encourages Participation in National Day of Service
Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and Chief Executive Officer, released the following message to all staff today:
Dear Hillside Colleagues,
Two occasions next week are significant for all Americans. On Monday, our country will observe Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, honoring the civil rights leader who was one of the most influential voices in American history. Two days later, the inauguration of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President will mark another historic moment. As the first woman and the first person of color to become Vice President, Senator Harris will have shattered a barrier that once was considered unbreakable.
To celebrate Dr. King’s life and work, the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect have partnered with AmeriCorps to create a National Day of Service on January 18. More details are available at https://bideninaugural.org/day-of-service, including examples of simple ways in which we all can take action and help others. Other useful links are included at the end of this message.
As part of the Hillside family, each of you already contributes significantly, every day, to the health and welfare of your community. Still, there could be no better tribute to Dr. King’s legacy than a thoughtful extra effort that underscores our passion for helping others. I hope you will join me in volunteering and being virtually involved in service to our communities.
Thank you for your commitment to the youth and families we serve, and to the communities we all call home.
Maria Cristalli
President and CEO
Hillside
Other links:
https://www.mobilize.us/nationaldayofservice
https://www.mobilize.us/colorofchange
https://americorps.gov/join/find-volunteer-opportunity
Hillside Statement on January 6 Washington, DC, Attack
in response to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Hillside President & CEO Maria Cristalli issued the following statement to Hillside employees on Friday, January 8.
Dear Hillside Colleagues,
Earlier this week, a violent attack took place in Washington, DC, that was an insurrection against the United States. This attack has been on all our minds, and will continue to occupy our thoughts.
Our country was founded on guiding principles that include the rule of law and the orderly transition of power, guided by free elections. This outbreak of violence, and its aftermath, directly violated those principles.
Although most of us here at Hillside were physically distant from the attack, our colleagues in Prince George’s County were just miles away—and many likely have friends and family nearby who may have felt at risk during the episode. Let’s please keep our Prince George’s County people in our hearts.
In addition to our right to vote—it is every American’s right to peacefully protest. It is clear the response to the insurgents on Wednesday was very different than the actions taken by authorities during the protests concerning racial injustice that occurred throughout America last year. The incident as a whole once again underscores the clear racial inequities in our culture today, and the need for identifying and challenging white privilege and supremacy wherever they may exist. At Hillside and throughout our communities, we all have a lot of work to do.
Thank you,
Maria Cristalli
President and CEO
Hillside
Hillside Stands
Again, and again, and again.
The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and far too many people of color have put yet another grim spotlight on the racial and economic inequalities that continue to define life in America. This ugly tradition can’t possibly be reversed as long as any one of us continues to sit down.
Hillside stands. We stand with black and brown people in a shared sense of urgency. We stand against racism and discrimination, and against the violence that comes with them.
We know that Black Lives Matter. The children and families we serve are often among the most vulnerable in the communities we all call home. We see every day how they are disproportionately disadvantaged by systemic inequities, leading to deep-seated trauma that is frequently passed on to their children and grandchildren. It’s a cycle that hinders potential, and cuts meaningful lives short.
The people of Hillside refuse to accept this status quo. Black and brown children and families deserve a better future. We remain dedicated to providing pathways of meaningful change for more than 13,000 children and families every year, while deepening our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion among our staff. We are committed to listening and engaging in action. Our communities deserve our very best effort. We will not let them down.
Maria Cristalli
President and CEO
Hillside Family of Agencies
An Important Decision in Minneapolis
The following message was released this evening by Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and CEO.
On May 25, 2020, a terrible crime was committed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For millions of people around the country and around the world, the murder of George Floyd was heartbreaking and infuriating—and our grief and outrage were magnified by the thought that so many other men and women of color continued to meet similar fates.
A jury has now returned three guilty verdicts in the trial against the man whose actions caused Mr. Floyd’s death. Those verdicts can’t erase the pain of what happened that day. They can’t single-handedly remove the deep-rooted stain of systemic racism that has been made evident by the deaths of Mr. Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Daniel Prude, Daunte Wright, and too many others.
One jury’s decision can’t undo generations of pain and injustice, but it remains an important step in the right direction. People everywhere needed to know that the justice system is capable of taking a stand for that which is simply, inarguably wrong.
The women and men of Hillside see every day the effects of systemic inequalities that are disproportionately felt by Black and Brown people. That perspective, and our commitment to our mission, drive us to make a difference—and that difference is felt every day, in so many ways and in so many homes, schools and communities.
Humanity prevailed today. What happens tomorrow is up to all of us.