This year marks the seventh anniversary of our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program – one of the first dedicated DEI programs within
the State of Oregon. We also celebrate the creation of our DEI Council, which was set up to support the agency’s DEI, affirmative action, and equal employment opportunity initiatives. Our program’s initiatives can be accomplished only by identifying and assessing the strategic priorities, goals, and outcomes necessary to support the agency’s DEI Strategic Plan.
DCBS’ 2023-2025 DEI Strategic Plan lays out the agency’s goals and
strategies for the next two years. The plan puts equity – giving people what they need to be successful – at its core. It also values equality – treating people fairly, regardless of their individual traits – as well as recognizes the importance of diversity, inclusion, expertise, personal responsibility, collaboration, effectiveness, accountability, customer service, and effective communication in accomplishing our mission.
The plan acknowledges that, at DCBS, leadership, managers, supervisors, and employees assume direct responsibility for implementing the strategic plan. A prominent part of our agency’s culture needs to be the individual and collective responsibility to promote equitable opportunities and services for all.
The plan is focused on creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace that is inviting and welcoming to a diverse workforce that represents all of Oregon’s communities and individuals. DCBS employees, together with
the members of the DEI Council, have created – and continue to work in sustaining – an inclusive workplace. We take actions to improve retention of women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans; remove barriers to hiring and mentoring; enhance specific educational opportunities for managers and employees; announce training and job opportunities to all employees; hold diversity spotlight events; and build collaborative relationships with our community partners around the state.
At DCBS, employee engagement is the opportunity to strengthen the mental and emotional connections employees feel toward the work they do, their teams, the organization, and the community we serve.
When building collaborative relationships, DCBS believes it is important to know a community’s most urgent needs so they can be prioritized.
Each community needs individualized approaches that include listening and shared values. We know we may not get things correct the first time, but we are committed to keep going back and doing better. We strive to promote positive relationships between the agency’s divisions and all of Oregon’s communities.
Our DEI program has worked hard to leverage existing relationships and to build new ones. The strategic plan reminds us of where we have been and how far we have come. After seven years and many milestones, we are working harder than ever to engage, collaborate, and be accountable for DEI in our workplace. Over the past 10 years, our workforce diversity has nearly doubled. Our gains have been cumulative and grow dynamically. The goal of increasing our workforce diversity is not a static achievement,
but an ongoing commitment to our DEI values and strategic success.
Changes will continue to happen only if we seek them. We invite you to read the strategic plan, volunteer for the DEI Council, and attend events
to gain more understanding. We then hope you share with your co-workers and explore ways to integrate the plan’s principles and values into your daily work and team environment.
As always, please reach out to the DCBS’s DEI Office, Employee Services, or the DEI Council if you would like to be involved in this important work.