This is a living, growing statement. We will be updating the language, concepts, and resource list as our understanding grows. We warmly invite you to check back regularly to see this growth in action.
As our mission indicates, we are committed to nurturing sustainable well-being in a just and equitable way. This commitment is based on our recognition of the example provided by natural ecosystems and our urgent need to undo centuries of damage done to our loved ones and neighbors of color and the natural world.
We commit to constantly learn, adapt, and improve our understanding of differing perspectives, experiences, and best practices. On this journey, we acknowledge that our mistakes are an opportunity to learn and evolve how we achieve equity and justice.
Rooted in a firm belief of interdependence as a necessity for the health of the entire ecosystem, we believe that we can accomplish far more together than we can alone. Our passion for achieving a just and equitable society requires that we are inclusive, transparent, and fair in all that we do.
Our commitment to building trust and aligning with the communities we serve requires that we build, nurture, and maintain relationships and an environment in which all members are valued, heard, respected, and empowered, so that our work is consistently informed by a broad range of perspectives.
Our pursuit of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion recognizes that racism, environmental degradation, climate change, and access to outdoor recreation, physical and emotional safety in natural spaces, and mental health care services is disproportionately biased against our most vulnerable neighbors, including women, communities of color, income-challenged communities, and all those whose voices are silenced or ignored.
Our work is informed both by science and the input of our community. We know that systems of racial and economic injustice must be dismantled and a new system created to bring justice to the marginalized communities that are most affected by climate change, education, mental health, and health care disparities. We are committed to actively addressing these historic inequities in our work in mental health and outdoor recreation, industries with deep roots in perpetuating a system of white supremacy.
In order to fulfill our purpose and exemplify our values, we aim to make evident our commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion through our organizational structures, policies, leadership, staff, mission, and vision. We hold ourselves accountable to our teammates, clients, community, and ecosystem, and aim for transparency in our pursuit of equity.
We proudly embrace people of all backgrounds and seek to nurture a culture where everyone is welcomed, and historically marginalized voices are heard and included in strategy- and decision-making. We act in accordance with our professional codes of ethics, prioritizing unconditional positive regard, confidentiality, and advocacy, as well as adhering to the Environmental Justice Principles (as defined in 1991 First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit).
With gratitude, we acknowledge the US Climate Action Network’s thoughtful and comprehensive work outlining their principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, which provided the foundational framework for our statement and helped us articulate our shared values.
Updated 3.23.21
Related to the issues mentioned in our statement:
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream
(audio of article also available in link; 31 minutes)
The historical roots of racial disparities in the mental health system - Counseling Today
(approx. 7 minute read)