As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant, I spend most of my days talking to leaders and staff across major nonprofits and institutions about race, racism, and equity. While many organizations have made bold commitments and values affirming their belief in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, most people inside those organizations are uncertain about how to process their own ancestral history and current relationship to race. Many folks are left feeling like they might say the wrong thing, or if they shared honestly, it could trigger conflict or harm relationships. As a result, we aren’t having the tough conversations, digging into where biases may exist, and creating new systems and structures that can create equitable change.
In the mental healthcare field, we cannot afford to ignore the realities of race and racism in America and the ways that contribute to the mental healthcare crisis that we see manifest. Mental Health America and many other leading institutions have recognized racism as a mental health issue because of the relationship between racism and racial trauma and the risk of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Additionally, studies have found significantly higher levels of stress hormones in BIPOC individuals that have been connected to experiencing or observing racial discrimination and lead to poor physical health outcomes like high blood pressure and heart disease.
For communities that provide care, like Karis, we must be culturally aware of how individuals’ mental and physical health are impacted by racism and ensure that we provide healing spaces that combat those dynamics by fostering a deep sense of belonging and acceptance alongside therapeutic care. At Karis Community, we have launched a committee of staff and board members that are taking a closer look at the look and feel of our community spaces. We are reviewing policies, practices, and procedures, to ensure the community is fully inclusive across race, ethnicity, gender, and class.
Many folks are left feeling like they might say the wrong thing, or if they shared honestly, it could trigger conflict or harm relationships. As a result, we aren’t having the tough conversations, digging into where biases may exist, and creating new systems and structures that can create equitable change.
Through this process, we are learning that this must start with dialogue and building trust amongst staff and Community Members to hold space where we can engage in these tough conversations. Each person in Karis impacts the culture and experience that new or prospective Community Members have, and so DEI efforts must include discussions across staff and Community Members on their own experiences with equity and inclusion, how they see these dynamics showing up, and how we can each challenge biases we may be holding.
The DEI committee is launching a discussion series this
month, starting with staff and board and expanding to include Community Members
once efforts are underway. Simultaneously, we have been reviewing and making
improvements across our referral system, waitlist process, new Community Member
interview process, community space design, community partnerships, and more to
continue improving our approaches and increasing diversity, equity, and
inclusion.
Karis Community’s mission is to provide a community where people heal together. As we take on this DEI work, I believe we are not just supporting individual healing from serious and persistent mental illness. We are also healing multi-generational wounds based on race and racism. In doing so, we are doing our part to decrease the prevalence of mental illness for future generations.
Allison Brown
Karis Community Board President