Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Message from the President & CEO

Dedicated to improving the quality of life for Connecticut’s residents, CMHA operates an extensive mental health and addiction services delivery system throughout the state. As a leading behavioral health treatment provider, we are committed to promoting and ensuring Equity and Inclusion not only for our clients, but for our staff, our partners, and for the many communities CMHA serves. As an agency, we strive to view all of our actions through the appropriate lenses of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Only then can we truly reach those in our communities who have historically been disenfranchised or ignored. At CMHA, we often say that ‘Recovery is Real,’ and with your help, so too is meaningful systemic change.

- Raymond J. Gorman, President & CEO

Message from the Diversity Chair

It is a pleasure and honor to serve as the Chair of the Diversity Committee and CMHA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. CMHA has distinguished itself as an organization dedicated to building the community by providing exceptional client care. Our culture is a differentiating factor that contributes to our success and makes CMHA unique. One key piece of our culture is our commitment to creating a diverse environment enhanced by inclusivity and equity. I am proud to work alongside a team that will continue the work because it’s the right thing to do, as we are part of a greater community, one with a shared responsibility to make the world a better place.

- Christopher Porcher, Vice President of Strategy & Innovation

Diversity Committee Statement

We always strive to fashion a committee comprising of individuals whose experience and expertise provide a wide range of perspectives. The official mission of The Valuing Diversity Committee is to oversee the agency’s commitment to diversity by reviewing the Health Equity Implementation Plan and the agency's Diversity Plan to ensure fidelity to our goals. The committee works to better support staff in serving our diverse clientele, including: plan and develop cultural competency training; aid in the provision of services in the client's preferred language; review relevant data reports to correlate staff-to-client relationships; review and update CMHA Policy & Procedure; coordinate with Human Resources to develop necessary recruitment or retention practices, and; report any needed recommendations to the CMHA Board of Directors.