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What are Seneca’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)?

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By Darius Griffin

When people first encounter Seneca, they usually learn about our work in behavioral health, education, and permanency across California and Washington. What’s not always visible is how Seneca operates inside the organization to support the people who make our mission possible. Over the years, we’ve learned that a mission centered on Unconditional Care must also be reflected in the way we treat one another as colleagues. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have become one of the clearest expressions of our belief that a culture of care must start from within our own workforce.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led spaces where colleagues connect around shared identities and lived experiences. These groups help build belonging, strengthen representation, and ensure that staff voices inform our workplace practices. As Program Director and Caregivers ERG Facilitator Gini Sanders explains: “ERGs give staff a place to be seen and heard, to learn from colleagues with shared experiences, and to bring forward insights that strengthen our culture and our work.”

Each ERG carries its own vibe, but all groups carry the belief that employee perspectives are essential to shaping a healthy and inclusive workplace.

In an organization as large and geographically spread out as Seneca — with teams working remotely, in the field, and across multiple regions — ERGs become a great way to bridge the distance between programs. They give people who may never work in the same office or even in the same state, an opportunity to build real relationships, share resources, and process the challenges of emotionally demanding work.

“I found a group of people who shared similar experiences and understood parts of my work and life without a lot of explanation.” Gini said. “It is so nice to be surrounded by people who are frequently nodding in agreement with your experiences or saying things like I get that.”

These groups go beyond job titles and allow for deeper conversations that help reduce stigma in the workplace.

While ERGs are considered social spaces, they are also very important in informing how Seneca shapes its internal policies. Facilitators and members regularly share feedback with Human Resources and leadership, helping shape policies, language, and practices that better reflect the needs of our workforce. Feedback from ERGs has influenced countless aspects of our workplace — from how we affirm our autistic and neurodivergent colleagues, to crafting respectful language in recruitment materials, and so much more! These groups help Seneca listen intentionally and translate that listening into meaningful action.

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ERGs at Seneca are intentionally structured to be welcoming and simple to join. The first step is for staff to reach out to the facilitator of a group that resonates with them. Facilitators will share when the ERG meets and how new members can plug into upcoming meetings. Some employees attend regularly, others drop in when their schedule allows, and many use the groups to meet colleagues outside their immediate team. Whether someone works from home, in the community, or inside an office, ERGs help ensure there is always a place to connect with people beyond the day-to-day workflow.

“I think a great part of ERGs is that they are designed to be welcoming spaces where you can show up as you are. Want to keep your camera off? Great. Want to contribute in the chat only? Super. Can only join for 20 minutes? Yes! We welcome all ways of participation and engagement, and the job of the facilitator is to lead the conversation and create a space that feels safe and comfortable for others to share, learn and support,” Gini adds.

Seneca currently offers a wide range of Employee Resource Groups that reflect the full diversity of our workforce. Here is the complete list of ERGs along with brief descriptions:

This group is for staff who identify as LGBTQIA+. We are group-led, meaning every member has a say in what goes into the space, and while some folks guide the group when needed, there is no chosen facilitator. Community building is an active and ongoing practice in this group, and the vibe is open, honest and unfiltered. Come hang!

This group is for staff who identify as neurodivergent, disabled, chronically ill, and/or are in an ongoing process with their mental health. This group is a space for community building, resource sharing, processing points of intersectionality, and the joys and challenges of doing this work; and advocacy in the form of direct action for ourselves and our clients.

The Caregiver ERG (formerly the Parent ERG) is for Seneca working caregivers and parents to have a space to connect, support on another, provide tips and advice, advocate for caregivers, and meet the unique needs of what it means to be a caregiver working in the agency.

The Latinx ERG is for staff who identify as coming from or being part of the Latin community. We offer a space for processing and exploring these identities and how they interact with your home, your community, your coworkers, your professional life, and the agency. We enjoy sharing culture and celebrating the diversity of the Latin community. “What does having a Latin identity mean for you in the space you hold in life?” is a question we often explore. We love to gather and host events!

The Black/African American ERG is for staff who identify as Black/African American and provides members with a resource network that leverages their distinct strengths and abilities toward increasing awareness of the diversity within the Black/African American culture to better serve youth and families.

The APIDA ERG is for staff who identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, and/or Desi-American and offers a safe space for members to be vulnerable, build strong connections and support systems, and empower and inspire one another. We hold open dialogues about what it means to be APIDA and how we can best advocate for ourselves, our youth and families, and our diverse communities. We strive to have our voices heard and to be included in organizational decision-making.

The Grief ERG is designed to be a supportive space for staff who have experienced the death of a client. The distress of the grief experience can greatly impact the way in which we not only show up at work but how we conceptualize the work. Returning to the work while navigating through the traumatic loss of a client can be challenging and at times overwhelming.  We are gathering to identify resources and build a community of support. Together we can better understand the ways these types of traumatic losses have an impact us as individuals and as mental health providers. We are hopeful that we can strengthen one another and our larger Seneca community as a whole. 

Seneca’s Employee Resource Groups show what has always been true about our mission: Unconditional Care starts with the people who deliver it. These groups connect colleagues across counties, hybrid schedules, and varied identities while helping inform the policies that guide us internally as an organization. Thank you to our ERG facilitators and members who continue to shape what it means to work here at Seneca and how care shows up in our work every day. For applicants exploring a role with us, and for current staff brushing up on their workplace knowledge, visit our Careers page for more information.

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