DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Cultural awareness, humility, equity, access, and accountability begins with us. We have woven equity goals throughout our Strategic Plan, including creating promotional opportunities for staff of color, engaging in systems change at both the micro and macro level, and bringing more awareness and advocacy to racial disparities. Our equity efforts are works in progress and require constant attention and nurturing to move the needle forward as it informs our work with youth, families, and communities.

At Lincoln Families, we believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture is essential. A holistically supportive and healthy environment is vital to providing quality services to the youth, families, and communities we serve. We are committed to creating a welcoming and respectful climate where everyone is valued, heard, and supported. We prioritize this by:

  • Actively addressing systemic barriers and biases to prevent experiences of discrimination and promote access to services.

  • Providing intersectional services that respect and honor the diversity of the cultures of colleagues, youth, and families.

  • Prioritizing open dialogue and feedback from colleagues, youth, families, and community partners to provide accountability and continuous improvement of our practices.

  • Following up and following through on areas of both hope and harm to amplify successes and address challenges.

Commitment to Equity

At Lincoln Families, it is our responsibility and priority to honor and celebrate the diverse identities of our colleagues and the youth and families we serve to strengthen our work, remove barriers to care, and advance social justice and equity.

Our journey began with the launch of our Employee Equity Council (EEC) in 2017 with the goal to build a culture of transparency and shared decision making. Soon after in 2018, our Manager Equity Team was launched, joining the EEC and Senior Management Team to interrogate our internal structures and processes through a lens of equity, including organizational policies and practices. The Board Equity Council was later created to complete the circle of organizational representation, with all groups working together towards a culture of inclusion and belonging.

  • Employee Equity Council/EEC made up of direct service and support staff;

  • Manager Equity Team/MET made up of management staff;

  • Senior Management Team/SMT made up of all senior leaders; this team, with the most positional power, is required to hold the lens of equity; and

  • Board Equity Council/BEC made up of selected board members.

Our Equity Journey

  • Equity Teams collaborate to hold the agency accountable for actualizing racial equity, fostering intersectional mindfulness, and prioritizing the needs of front line staff in organizational planning. Participation in EEC and MET is open to all direct service staff and managers, respectively.

  • The role of Equity Liaisons is essential to Lincoln Families’ journey towards equity, which requires reflection, dialogue, and time. By creating dedicated roles and spaces to listen and value the voices of all Lincoln staff, and by challenging existing organizational norms, the Liaisons uphold a courageous dedication to equity that perseveres even in the face of new and unexpected challenges.

  • The Equity Teams also work collaboratively to engage staff from all levels in equity focused leadership to promote reflective processes in decision making, lift the voices of their colleagues, and collaborate to address issues across the organization.

  • We strive at Lincoln Families to foster a welcoming, inclusive, and brave environment for everyone. Affinity Groups (AGs) can be a bridge to building that culture by creating spaces for employees with shared identities that support belonging, transparency, and authenticity. AGs are a place for healing, self-reflection, and liberation that parallel the agency’s ongoing work towards making all spaces more culturally responsive and inclusive. Current AGs include:

    • Asian American & Pacific Islander

    • Black Self-Care

    • La Comunidad

    • LGBTQ2SIA+

    • Parenting Beyond Kids

    • Spanish Consultation

    • White Anti-Racism

    Anyone who wishes to participate in an AG is encouraged to do so. For more information, please reach out to the Employee Equity Council: equityliaisons@lincolnfamilies.org.

  • We know that we cannot live our mission without first centering the voices and needs of our staff and those who directly serve our community into both short and long term decision making. Equity Teams examine Lincoln practices to ensure that the culturally-responsive supports provided to youth and families are balanced with supports given to meet the diverse and critical needs of our staff.