Diversity and Cultural Competency Policy

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Graham Behavior Services believes that we are better together. We welcome and affirm individuals of all ages, abilities, gender identities, races, ethnicities, religions, spiritual practices, socioeconomic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every person’s unique identity is valued, respected, and celebrated.

Core Principles

Our policy is founded on the following core principles:

1. Recognition and Respect: We recognize, affirm, and respect the inherent worth and dignity of every individual.

2. Equal Opportunity: We adhere to equal employment opportunity policies and non-discrimination practices in all aspects of our operations.

3. Cultural Humility: We embrace cultural humility as the ongoing process through which we continually build cultural competence. As defined by Conners & Capell (2021), cultural humility involves:

   • Examining culture with an openness to continuous learning
   • Approaching interactions with an “other-oriented” stance
   • Learning about cultural identities that are most important to our clients
   • Engaging in self-reflection and personal critique
   • Recognizing this as a lifelong, evolving process

4. Intersectionality: We acknowledge that individuals have multiple, intersecting identities that shape their experiences and perspectives.

Implementation Practices

Graham Behavior Services implements this policy through the following practices and actionable steps:

Workforce Development

• We recruit, hire, and develop employees who demonstrate commitment to their communities, represent diverse backgrounds, and show proficiency in cross-cultural interactions.
• We foster an organizational culture where all team members feel valued, included, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.
• We provide regular professional development opportunities focused on cultural competence, implicit bias awareness, and inclusive practices.

Service Delivery

• We conduct culturally responsive assessments that consider the cultural context of each client.
• We develop individualized treatment plans that respect and incorporate clients’ cultural values, beliefs, and practices.
• We work collaboratively with clients and their families to ensure their cultural values are represented throughout all aspects of service delivery.
• We regularly assess our services for cultural appropriateness and make adjustments as needed.

Accessibility and Accommodation

• We provide translation and interpretation services to any recipient when necessary or requested, ensuring equal access to intake forms, treatment plans, evaluations, and other documents.
• We engage professional assistance to address the needs of individuals with speech, hearing, or other impairments.
• We ensure our physical spaces and virtual platforms are accessible to people of all abilities.

Ongoing Education and Development

• We deliver regular diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural competency trainings for all staff members.
• We facilitate group discussions that explore diverse perspectives and experiences.
• We make educational resources on cultural competence widely available to our team.
• We encourage continuous learning through professional development opportunities.

Accountability and Assessment

• We regularly evaluate our progress in implementing this policy.
• We seek feedback from clients, families, and staff on our cultural competence efforts.
• We track relevant metrics to measure our success in creating an inclusive environment.
• We adjust our approaches based on feedback and assessment results.

Commitment to Growth

We recognize that building cultural competence is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Graham Behavior Services is committed to continuous improvement in our understanding and practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.

This policy was last reviewed and updated on April 9, 2025.

For questions or feedback regarding this policy, please contact us.