Both local and national events in our country have brought to light the many ways in which race influences the health and safety of everyone in our community. We at Neuro, perhaps like many of you, have been pushed to ask hard questions about how and why this continues to happen, and also what we can do to better the situation.

In 2019, we created an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Awareness (IDEA) Team which works to identify knowledge gaps and biases within our agency and provide educational opportunities to support necessary change. We know this is one of many steps to help raise the bar as an organization and within our community to allow all to feel safe and included.

We also look to Neuro’s mission and values to help focus our efforts in ways that both align with our foundation as an organization and respond to the call for action and change.

To positively impact kids, families, and society for the future by providing the best therapy services for all, regardless of their ability to pay, and by educating parents, teachers, other professionals, and our community regarding the unique needs and potential of our clients.

In order for us to effectively advocate for all of the families who need our services, we know that we have more learning to do, and are committed to doing our part.

WE ARE FAMILY CENTERED, not just in words but in practice. We believe that no one exists in isolation and we seek to provide services and create a work atmosphere that honors connections with each other and the outside world.

We are especially reminded at this time that constructs such as race and ethnicity cannot divide the connections that we share and the ways in which our lives impact one another.

WE DARE TO DREAM. We believe that the seemingly impossible, just might be possible, and we look for these miracles every day.

This is a time in history when we’re being asked to envision new ways of relating, supporting, seeing, and hearing one another, and we strive to bring open minds and hearts to allow this dreaming to continue.

WE ARE INCLUSIVE in that we provide an environment and deliver services which affirm the dignity, worth, and value of all individuals regardless of disability, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or anything that has the potential to set people apart from each other.

Inclusivity has always been a core value and primary motivator in the decisions that we make as an organization, and we take pride in knowing that our doors remain open to all. Nevertheless, we are being called at this time to identify our blind spots, invest in learning opportunities, and have honest conversations about how we could do better at inviting in families from diverse backgrounds who may not have felt welcomed in the past.

WE PRACTICE COMPASSION. Our goal is that every client, family, staff member, and professional that we encounter will know that we care and will walk away from interactions with us as a better person and a stronger individual.

Compassion arises from the willingness to turn toward difficult or painful experiences and meet them with kindness and care. We offer support to one another and the families that we serve in order to allow each of us to face this challenging time with courage and authenticity and allow for healing and strength to emerge.

WE VALUE THE EXPERIENCE and continued professional development of all employees to provide the most effective treatment for each family.

Our IDEA Team will lead the way in identifying beneficial learning opportunities for everyone at our agency, leading to both professional and personal growth and development.

WE FOSTER EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES THAT BEST SERVE the unique and comprehensive needs of each staff member so they can best serve the needs of our clients.

We understand that each of our employees will be impacted differently by our current times, and strive to meet the varied needs with patience, flexibility, and compassion.

WE REGULARLY AND SERIOUSLY EVALUATE ourselves and our programs to ensure that we are truly fulfilling our mission in the best way possible. There are always ways to improve and we look for those ways through regular self-evaluation and program evaluation, looking honestly at our integrity, our support of others, our pursuit of knowledge, and our service to the community.

This is a time like no other when we’re being asked to re-evaluate the ways in which our words or actions may have contributed to the systemic problems at hand, and we are dedicated to being a part of the solution.

In recent years, we have been pushed to call forth more ingenuity, resilience, and adaptability in our lives than most of us ever imagined, and we have come together as a community in order to prevail. It is with many of these same qualities that we rise to meet the challenges we currently face with regard to racism and discrimination, in order to create a more safe and just community for all.