A Statement from Integral Care in Recognition of Juneteenth
The Board of Trustees and Staff of Integral Care recognize the gravity of this moment in our history and that harmful structures of racism have existed since slavery. We are witness to inequality and injustice across our country and in our own community that further traumatize people who are marginalized. We join the urgent calls for change. Racism will not be tolerated in any form or at any level in our organization. We will take meaningful and effective action to eradicate institutional racism and support equity and inclusion within our own organization and with our collaborative organizations.
The recognition of Juneteenth – the day in 1865 that slaves in Texas received notice through Executive Order that all slaves were freed – is particularly poignant this year. Despite the end of the Civil War, the ending of slavery and subsequent changes to laws at multiple points in our history, structural racism, inequality and injustice persist. This is the moment to act together in community and commit to being part of the solution to create lasting change.
Integral Care’s vision is Healthy Living for Everyone. It is an aspirational, inclusive future for persons living with mental illness, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities who have faced many barriers to receiving the support they need to be healthy and reach their full potential. Racism, injustice and inequality contribute to poor health and African Americans are disproportionally impacted by poor mental health and other health issues. Our organization must address this to achieve our vision.
Integral Care is committed to:
- Recognizing, respecting and celebrating differences and commonalities.
- Providing person-centered care, trauma informed care that is informed by knowledge of culture and its importance in improving health.
- Maintaining environments of care that are welcoming to all.
- Recruiting and retaining a diverse staff that reflects our community.
- Providing ongoing training for our staff to address bias and racism.
- Communicating with diverse communities, in multiple languages, to share information, increase access to care and share available resources.
- Collaborating with the community to listen, learn and grow.
- Being accountable, trustworthy and transparent to diverse communities.
- Establishing policies and procedures that remove barriers to equity, access and quality services.
We acknowledge that this will take hard work and sustained effort across our organization. Today is one step towards strengthening how we serve our community and achieve our vision.