Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Our Commitment to DEI

SWMHS values the diverse ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds of our employees and the communities we serve. We strive to offer our employees a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive of differing worldviews, cultures, and lived experiences. We honor and celebrate the diverse cultural identities and experiences of our staff. We are committed to amplifying their voices to inform our agency practices and our work with youth and families. SWMHS is a gender-affirming organization.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Unconditional Care

Unconditional Care is an absolute commitment to maintaining our relationships with our clients as they face social forces that adversely impact their lives. Their lived experience is often the result of inequitable social conditions that produce disparities in wealth and power. Those disparities may also reflect systematic discrimination and poverty that work to deny their access to resources, ultimately hindering their social, emotional, and economic well-being. We therefore assume responsibility to oppose those systems that preserve social exclusion and inequalities. We must also continually challenge our assumptions and expand our understanding of the social realities of those we serve in our pursuit of Unconditional Care.

In our efforts to affirm and validate the experiences of the clients we serve, we will aspire to mitigate the harmful impact of the social inequalities present in their lives. We will aim to offer access to exceptional mental health services. We will advocate for the rights of clients of color against racial discrimination experienced within systems of care. We will work to address the root causes of poverty that result in housing and food instability. We will support and ally with those who experience prejudice based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. We will also make every effort to aid those who are forced to migrate from their homes and live in constant fear of displacement. Finally, we will always stand with, empower, and assist the most vulnerable and marginalized within our communities to confront the forces that block their full participation in society.

Values in Practice: A Guide to Gender Pronouns

SWMHS is committed to celebrating and honoring the diversity of its employees and clients. Part of this commitment includes proactively learning about and adopting practices that create an environment where all employees are able to thrive. SWMHS includes gender pronouns in our practice email signatures as a small, but important step to signify respect for all gender identities. As language is a powerful tool, using the correct pronouns for an individual makes one feel valued, included, safe, and respected. Gender expression, identity, and names do not dictate one’s pronouns. By adding our pronouns to our email signatures, we are stating that we are a gender affirming organization that encourages everyone to be their authentic selves.

*This is not an exhaustive list of all pronouns. If you ask for someone’s pronoun and you have not heard it previously, it is not insulting to ask for the spelling and different conjugations of said pronoun. It is best to let the person know you are asking for the purpose of making sure their pronouns are respected.*

Resources & Articles: • The ACLU • Everyday Feminism • Trans Student Educational Resources • LGBT Resource Center-University of Wisconsin • Minus18 Video

Contact Xiomara A. Sosa, Owner and Clinical Director, SWMHS (843) 695-9974 

Reference: https://senecafoa.org/diversity/ We used Seneca’s statement and modified it slightly - it is their original content that we have also embraced as ours in unison and allyship with them.