Dear Friends,

I hope you and your loved ones are well.

Since last year, StarVista has implemented several new and improved Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives to better support our staff and the clients we serve every day.

Our DEI plan includes numerous action items and we have achieved many of them, such as:

• Staff forming affinity groups
• Creating a Board of Directors Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
• Hiring a DEI consultant firm to provide training and support to the Executive Team
• Completing an all-agency DEI survey as this is an important step in gathering information from our valued team

 

Some of our continued work includes several items such as ensuring that DEI is included in our new strategic plan, and that we incorporate what we have learned through our staff surveys, interviews with partners, and our learnings from our work with the DEI consultants. I am excited to share more information on our DEI initiatives and strategic plan in my future messages.

February is Black History Month, a time to honor and bring awareness to African American achievements and struggles throughout history. This year’s theme, as dedicated by ASALH, is “Black Health and Wellness,” focusing not only on the physical health of individuals of African descent but also their mental health and wellbeing. I invite you to explore our Black History Month blog post here to learn about African American pioneers in the mental health field and pioneers in San Mateo County. In addition, you can discover local events, books, articles, and more. You can find this and other educational resources year-round on our Community Resources webpage here.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone that joined me at my CEO café in January. It was such a pleasure to connect with you and share exciting updates for StarVista in 2022. I would also like to thank my guest speakers, StarVista Board members Nancy Minnig and Alison Proctor, and StarVista’s Chief Development, Marketing & Technology Officer, Lea Berhane. Thank you for sharing your connection to StarVista and the ways you and your organizations are making an impact. I invite you to watch the full event recording of my CEO café on YouTube here.

Wishing you good health and wellness.

Sincerely,

Sara Larios Mitchell, Ph.D., MACP

CEO