Diversity and Inclusion
SCCLS’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council fosters a healthy, inclusive environment where all staff, clients, and community members are valued, empowered and recognized, especially individuals who identify with and come from marginalized communities that are often under-resourced, underserved, and underrepresented. The Council commits to effecting structural changes within our organization and institutions that impact the communities we serve.
In 2017, management and staff established the Diversity Working Group as an effort to address hiring, retention, and professional development of staff with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Diversity Working Group evolved into the DEI Council in 2019 as a response to the needs of the organization and ongoing efforts to expand the scope of the group’s work beyond hiring, retention, and professional development.
In 2020, to strengthen the organization’s commitment to racial equity, the DEI Council organized a multi-session training initiative and internal equity audit facilitated by Just Roots Consulting. Following that initiative, membership in the DEI Council expanded to represent each of the SCCLS/JCSM offices. Select members also serve on the Statewide Diversity Council, a collaboration between the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation and legal aid organizations in the Commonwealth.
