DEI @ Maryhurst

At Maryhurst, our staff, families, and partners in the community each have their own unique set of backgrounds and circumstances. Understanding and meeting their needs cannot be done effectively without a similarly diverse set of perspectives and leaders. Said another way: a commitment to strengthening DEI at Maryhurst helps us do our job better.   

Staff-driven DEI Leadership 

Maryhurst's DEI efforts are guided by a DEI Leadership Team composed of staff representing a variety of programs and functions at the agency. The group meets monthly to check in on progress we're making on important topics related to inclusive and equitable experiences for Maryhurst clients and staff. The DEI Leadership Team sets objectives and evaluates progress toward achieving those goals.

Any interested staff member has the opportunity to join one of several DEI Action Teams:

• Client Support - leads projects that bring DEI-rich perspectives and activities to our treatment milieu
• Staff Support - organizes staff-led DEI groups and connects employees with resources
• Communications - responsible for the flow of information related to DEI work at the agency
• Education/Training - leads work that is focused on informing staff about important or timely DEI topics
• Policy - assesses and develops amendments to agency policy using DEI principles as guidance

Our Commitments

After a stakeholder process that involved listening sessions with staff, community members and clients, the Maryhurst DEI Leadership team developed a set of commitments that ensure our work is accountable to an important set of standards:

• To continuously learn from one another and provide training opportunities that improve our cultural competency and understanding.  
• To evaluate (and revise as needed) Maryhurst policies in order to promote a sense of belonging and inclusivity, creating a work environment where staff feel safe, affirmed, and confident that their voice matters.
• To assess operational practices on the basis of equity, ensuring fairness in the approach we take to hiring, onboarding, development, and promotion.
• To add and retain more diverse staff and advisors within Maryhurst’s senior leadership team, Board, and vendor partners.
• To remember the lived experience of our clients when developing their therapeutic treatment plans, taking care to consider any past trauma that specifically impacts them based on their identity (e.g. racial trauma).
• To live up to the promise of our mission and vision by listening to and acting upon the voices and expertise of all Maryhurst stakeholders.
• To actively work on dismantling racist, prejudicial, and inequitable systems in our community by participating in citywide initiatives (e.g. Trauma Resilient Communities).