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Tips and Tools on Diversity:
NAMI's Diversity Definition: Diversity encompasses understanding, respecting, embracing, preserving and celebration experiences and perspectives that are different from our own.
Diversity refers to many demographic, dimensions, including, but no limited to race/ethnicity, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, education, gender, expression, religion/faith, geographic origin, socio-economic status, language, individual culture, lived experiences and national origin as they relate to the whole person.
NAMI's Inclusion Definition: An inclusive organization is a safe, trusting, environment in which everyone feels they belong and have an equally empowering and positive experience. Inclusion involves self-determination which means power sharing.
Policy: NAMI NC and Affiliates strives to be inclusive of every sector of the demographics in North Carolina and that we make no distinction between people who have a mental illness and other members. This was adopted to align with national's standards of excellence
NAMI NC and Affiliates shall actively recruit, engage and serve members from every race, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability and shall not discriminate against any person or group in the requirements for membership, provision of service or support or in its policies or actions. The NAMI NC Board will regularly review their demographics compared to those of the state using national census data, in order to aspire towards reflecting that composition.
In keeping with NAMI's values regarding nondiscrimination and with applicable federal law, NAMI NC and Affiliates shall include in bylaws, operating policies and procedures and other relevant policy documents, explicit statements that require the organization to embrace the broadest possible definition of inclusion and nondiscrimination.
NAMI NC and Affiliates shall collect a baseline of members' voluntarily-supplied demographic information. Systems shall be put in place to protect the confidentiality of this information; demographic information will only be reported in the aggregate.
To support reaching out to and welcoming the community at large into the NAMI movement, NAMI NC will make use of materials and assistance from national in our recruitment, marketing, public education, and awareness activities.
NAMI NC strives to support recruitment and retention of a diverse and inclusive membership and leadership. We will also promote and mentor local affiliates' diversity and inclusion efforts.
Whenever there is a demand and the interests of members can best be served by support through groups sharing some affinity, including but not limited to lived experience or primary language, NAMI NC shall encourage its affiliates to offer multiple support groups beyond their baseline family and/or consumer group.
Setting the tone: Diversity and inclusion issues can be very sensitive topics for people. An open dialogue may evoke strong reactions since this touches on attitudes and values. We all carry our own conceptions or misconceptions of what things mean and we have our own views or issues such as racism, discrimination, homophobia, etc. Some people may feel uncomfortable while others may feel really comfortable and open to talking about these issues...
Link to State and County Quick Facts http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37000.html
You can sort by county and it will bring up all kinds of informat ion.
Ideas for Affiliates:
- Determine your current diversity2
- Talk about which group you want to work to increase their representation (like African American, youth, Veterans, Latino)
- Get training, information, and think about outreach activities (like Sharing Hope with churches), etc.
- Call the state office for technical assistance as needed-Brenda Piper (919) 788-0801
Let's all build our membership through diversity!
Thank you for thinking about this relative to your affiliate!
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