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Serving Our Community With Sensitivity and Pride

There’s an old saying that goes “If you know better, you would do better.”

When you take a step back and consider the roles of a mental health clinician, it’s almost like we are something out of a Marvel series. We all have different backgrounds and strengths, and when we are aware of these differences, we are able to better serve our community with a fuller understanding of the many different perspectives and backgrounds that exist in Buffalo.

Diversity is like a beautiful mosaic piece.

You have reds, blues, greens, yellow, big and small pieces coming together to form a picture, to tell a story. Buffalo is this mosaic with its different cultures that make up our neighborhoods.  Spectrum Health is one of the organizations that provides culturally sensitive access to treatment services to serve all populations. Services such as peer specialists and targeted case management assist with linking resources to meet individual needs.

Serving people in need is our mission; serving with compassion is part of our culture and value system. We need even more dialogue about diversity to allow individuals a space to feel heard and respected and represented. To be mindful, appreciative, and understanding of one’s circumstances we must take into consideration the individual background. We all see the world differently, and with every culture and nationality, we have our own point of view.  Mental health struggles effect everyone. Everyone has the right to seek counseling to become the best version of themselves.

Diversity to me means comfort, a sense of safety, and representation, not only as a client but as a part of the team here at Spectrum Health. After our 30–45-minute sessions, we then send our clients back into their daily lives, with the hope that they will utilize skills developed in session.

Think of it like this: If you’re sick at home with a cold and you’re not sure if chicken soup is a good decision, well, it can’t hurt! When we take the time to have a dialogue about diversity, it allows our team a chance to show our clients and staff that we are working to be mindful, appreciative, and understanding of the client’s unique circumstances. To do this, we have to take into consideration the team’s background. We all see the world differently, and with every culture and nationality, we have our own point of view. Mental health struggles permeate every facet of society regardless of age, race, sex, gender, creed, religion, or cultural background.

Everyone has the right to seek counseling to become the best version of themselves they can be. Understanding all of the different and unique members of our community, while also respecting the varied cultural differences that exist within our team, creates a full and rich experience. Our Spectrum Health team is always here, ready to serve anyone and everyone in our vibrant mosaic community.

Shamecca DeJarnette

Clinician II

Spectrum Health and Human Services

March 10, 2021

 

 

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