The ADAMHS Board of Directors unanimously approved a Three-Year Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategic Implementation Plan for the Board as well the public behavioral health system of mental health and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery at its June 22, 2022 General Meeting via Resolution 22-06-08.

Reverend Benjamin F. Gohlstin, Sr., former Board Chair, stated, "This DEI Strategic Implementation Plan serves as a guiding pathway on our journey to reimagine and reshape our mental health, addiction and recovery network into an equity-based system of inclusion. The ADAMHS Board views DEI efforts not as a set-aside but as part of all operations, hence the goals of the DEI Strategic Implementation Plan and is an overlay to the ADAMHS Board 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. The overlay complements the strategies outlined in the Board’s Strategic Plan with the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion."

"The input of clients, community members, system partners and the ADAMHS Board of Directors and staff assisted in creating this plan. The process used has reinforced our belief in the critical role of partnerships and collaboration, which will continue and strengthen with existing and new relationships as we administer this DEI Strategic Implementation Plan," said Scott S. Osiecki, Chief Executive Officer.

This plan includes clearly defined goals and action steps that the ADAMHS Board will use to develop a culturally competent, culturally appropriate, and diverse mental health, addiction and recovery support system that delivers treatment, recovery and prevention services that prioritize equity and inclusion to meet the needs of the diverse residents of Cuyahoga County.

The Board has already begun the implementation process in the following areas:

• Budgeting/funding:
  • Conducting an independent review of the Board's Request For Proposal (RFP) documents using a diversity, equity and inclusion lens.
  • Creating a scoring rubric for the RFP process to reduce bias and ensure equity.
  • Training members of the RFP review team in bias and selection bias.
  • Exploring additional funding opportunities specifically for health equity and cultural competence.
• Data Collection:
  • Added staffing and client demographic data to the provider outcomes surveys and RFP from agencies.
  • Requested information related to DEI plans for agencies.
• Education/training/outreach:
  • Established the Eliminating Structural Racism Advisory Group and provided educational sessions on DEI topics at these meetings since its inception in October 2020.
  • Collecting demographic data on ADAMHS Board training evaluations.

The DEI Strategic Implementation Plan was created for the ADAMHS Board and its system of providers by Rice Education Consulting, LLC (REdCon).

Click here to read the complete DEI Strategic Implementation Plan.

Click the links to read a summary of the plan in Spanish | Arabic | Mandarin | Russian | Ukrainian