Seneca Stands with the LGBTQ+ Community

At Seneca Family of Agencies, we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, including our staff, and the youth and families we serve. We believe every individual deserves to be respected, valued, and supported in their journey toward self-discovery and self-acceptance. We recognize the unique challenges that LGBTQ+ youth and families may face, and we are dedicated to providing culturally competent and affirming services that promote their health, well-being, and dignity. We welcome and value our LGBTQ+ staff members and affirm that their contributions are integral to our mission to help children and families through the most difficult times of their lives. We stand with the LGBTQ+ community and affirm that love is love, and everyone deserves to live authentically and with pride.

Black Lives Matter

All Black Lives Matter. We affirm that all Black Lives include queer and trans persons, those with visible and invisible disabilities, as well as undocumented persons. We understand that to affirm that Black Lives Matter means to address structural racism and the resulting violence that has impacted the lives of our employees, youth and families and the communities we serve. We understand that our Black employees must experience an inclusive workplace culture where their lived experience is valued and sought to inform practices and program services. We also understand that the youth and families we serve must experience our services as reflecting an understanding of their culture and history. We will ensure their voices and perspectives inform, shape and guide the services we offer. With our employees, the youth and families, and the communities we serve, we are committed to the lifelong work required to end systemic racism.

Advancing Racial Equity

We are committed to advancing racial equity as an organizational imperative. We are committed to offering our families services that are informed by an understanding of the social inequities and structural racism impacting their lives. We commit to disrupt the structures and systems that perpetuate racial inequities within our agency. We also commit to eliminate agency policies and practices that reinforce differential race-based outcomes for our staff and the families we serve.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Unconditional Care

Unconditional Care is an absolute commitment to maintaining our relationships with youth and families as they face social forces that adversely impact their lives. Their lived experience is often the result of inequitable social conditions that produce disparities in wealth and power. Those disparities may also reflect systematic discrimination and poverty that works to deny their access to resources, ultimately hindering their social, emotional, and economic well-being. We therefore assume responsibility to oppose those systems that preserve social exclusion and inequalities. We must also continually challenge our assumptions and expand our understanding of the social realities of those we serve in our pursuit of Unconditional Care.

In our efforts to affirm and validate the experiences of the youth and families we serve; we will aspire to mitigate the harmful impact of the social inequalities present in their lives. We will aim to offer access to exceptional mental health and educational services. We will advocate for the rights of youth and families of color against racial discrimination experienced within systems of care. We will work to address root causes of poverty that result in housing and food instability. We will support and ally with those who experience prejudice based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. We will also make every effort to aid those who are forced to migrate from their homes and live in constant fear of displacement. Finally, we will always stand with, empower and assist the most vulnerable and marginalized within our communities to confront the forces that block their full participation in society.