WE BELIEVE IN AFFIRMING DIGNITY FOR ALL PERSONS
SCS is committed to the promotion and affirmation of diversity in its broadest sense. Our mission requires that people of every background and cultural identity be able to use our services with an expectation of respectful treatment. The professional ethics and standards of our various mental health disciplines place a high value on the dignity and worth of individuals. We recognize that prejudice and discrimination based on gender/sex, ethnicity, race, sexual/affectional orientation, gender identity, age, physical and mental abilities, size, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic class have traditionally affected mental health practice. Consequently, as part of our service and training mission, we require of ourselves a commitment to work toward the recognition and elimination of such prejudice and discrimination as it is detrimental to the practice of psychotherapy, supervision, training, consultation, developmental programming, and research, and to the development of colleagueship among staff members. Therefore, as part of their professional functioning, all staff members (i.e. staff, trainees, and administrative support staff) are expected to respect the dignity and worth of the individual, and to strive for the preservation and protection of fundamental human rights.
WE WORK TO GROW IN OUR AWARENESS OF PREJUDICE AND OF DIVERSITY
A major goal of our agency is to maintain an atmosphere of openness and trust in which we feel free to explore and discuss our attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors in relation to others who are similar to and different from ourselves. As we strive to educate ourselves and others about the mental health issues of a pluralistic society, we recognize that an examination of personal prejudice and bias and their impact on our professional work is best accomplished within a climate of safety and respect. Therefore, staff members are expected to support each other as they explore their individual prejudices. As an agency, we both attend to and work to eliminate biases, prejudices, and discriminatory practices. We also recognize that the promotion of diversity has an inherent tendency toward clashes in values and perspectives. Thus, continual examination and discussion of such conflicts are crucial for their effective resolution.
WE CLAIM OUR PERSONAL IDENTITIES AND HONOR THOSE OF OTHERS
At SCS we strive to promote equity for staff and clients who are differentially abled. We affirm the right of staff members and clients to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, and transgender. We work toward the end of all forms of institutional sexism and racism. We are sensitive to current extremes of religious and ethnic persecution and the resulting trauma. We acknowledge the right of staff members and clients to affirm a personal set of religious and cultural beliefs while they embrace tolerance of others’ divergent beliefs. As an agency, we recognize the need to make all of these issues high priorities in our work to ensure basic human rights for all people.
CAMPUS RESOURCES