Director's Message

Sept. 15, 2006

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, Director

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."
~Anne Frank

Next Wednesday marks the 14th DHS Diversity Conference and the second one held in conjunction with ODOT. This year's event takes place at the Salem Conference Center to accommodate the space needs of the 1,000 individuals who have registered for the more than 30 workshops being offered on various aspects of diversity.

The really exciting news is that the conference is sold out. More people wanted to attend than space allowed.

While that's great news, it takes more than organizing or attending a conference to ensure that we have a diverse organization.

The department's recently updated 2006-2007 Diversity Strategic Plan (which I encourage you to view at www.oregon.gov/DHS/aboutdhs/diversity/docs/diversity_plan_06-07.pdf ) is an excellent example of this agency's commitment to understanding and supporting diversity among our staff. It contains a specific vision, strategies for achieving that vision, and methods of measuring our success. It's also a living document that will evolve and grow to meet the changing needs of our employees and customers.

The following list is just a sampling of some of the initiatives contained in the strategic plan that we are in the process of implementing. As you read this list, keep in mind that all of us -- including you -- have a role in helping create the positive outcomes these actions are designed to achieve. We are:

• Providing information and guidelines to managers to help them recruit and select more culturally diverse employees;
• Initiating more recruitment outreach activities to encourage under-represented populations to apply for jobs with DHS;
• Setting goals for participation by various groups in the department's mentorship program;
• Educating managers and staff on how to create welcoming environments to promote workforce inclusivity;
• Designing cultural competency training for all staff;
• Including updated diversity education materials in new employee orientation training; and
• Increasing partnerships with local programs and communities to promote cultural competency in service delivery.

One of the underlying concepts of the strategic plan, which also is reflected in the conference workshops, is that diversity comes in many forms -- some visible and some not. Diversity includes different religious and cultural beliefs, income levels, ages, genders and gender preferences, racial and ethnic backgrounds, physical differences and different physical abilities, and even choices of diet. Everything that makes a person unique, both inside and outside, creates diversity.

It is when we encourage and respect the expression of those unique differences that we become a better organization. Our policies and decisions benefit from more viewpoints and considerations, our clients and partners benefit by encountering a more knowledgeable and understanding workforce, and we ourselves benefit by exposure to new ways of thinking.

If you are registered to attend the September 20 diversity conference, I look forward to seeing you there.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us