It is our pleasure to announce that GWSCSW has hired Melanie Hood-Wilson and Associates (MHWA) as DEI consultants for GWSCSW.  MHWA comes highly recommended by the non-profit and educational institutions with whom we spoke to at length, all of whom were very impressed by the way MHWA approaches the work of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. The leadership of GWSCSW are excited to work with MHWA which describes itself as a company that seeks to assist its clients in understanding America's racial and cultural disconnects by developing strategies to help them successfully grow, embrace, and embody the values Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It is our hope that the GWSCSW will come to be known as an organization of increased diversity, equity, and inclusion which is so valued by the GWSCSW leadership and members. 

As we begin collaboration with MHWA, the first steps are twofold. Step one will involve MHWA performing an internal equity audit and needs assessment through the review of GWSCSW's organization structures and the systems that support it, through the identification of white supremacy cultural norms that hinder the forward movement on the Antiracist Continuum. This process will involve the participation of our membership. If you are contacted, we ask and encourage you to participate openly and honestly so that the Society can make meaningful changes which will allow us to learn and grow as an organization. Once completed,  MHWA will present its findings first to the Board and then to the membership. The second step will be the facilitation of a Membership Town Hall to be held in the Spring of 2023. This will be an opportunity for the GWSCSW to come together to speak about DEI concerns, a vision for the future, and to be heard. 

This is a first step, but it is not the last step. Moving toward an antiracist society is a long journey, and we hope you will be with us as we move towards the completion of our journey. 

Please feel free to contact your Board with any questions, concerns, or to voice your desire to participate.

GWSCSW Board and Social Justice Branch