CDCR and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) staff have started seeing colorful posters pop up in break rooms and bulletin boards at offices statewide. These posters encourage staff to learn more about the Governmental Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE).
GARE is a national network of government agencies working together to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. It provides a multilayered approach, including supporting jurisdictions that are at the forefront of racial equity work, developing a “pathway for entry” into racial equity work for new jurisdictions, and supporting local and regional collaborations that are broadly inclusive and focused on achieving equity.
The CDCR and CCHCS Steering Committee proudly introduced “The Path Forward” posters to reinforce its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to provide CDCR/CCHCS with the strategies and tools needed to advance a workforce that embodies the committee’s core values Service, Leadership, Integrity, Accountability, Respect, Trust, and Collaboration.
The CDCR/CCHCS committee’s mission is to build an inclusive and culturally diverse workplace, including attracting and hiring more candidates from diverse communities and empowering all employees from a variety of cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and personal experiences. GARE works to foster inclusion and drive collaborative efforts to increase representation at all levels of the Department.
“We began this journey in 2018. As we embark on our 5th year, the GARE Steering Committee hopes these posters and messaging will increase awareness of the Department’s membership in GARE, along with initiating and then normalizing important conversations surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion.”, states Sarina J. Calderon, Associate Director for the Office of Civil Rights.
Staff have seen The Path Forward posted on bulletin boards, in break rooms, and elsewhere around offices and institutions.
These posters contain information on how to join the effort and be a part of the GARE Ambassador Program and a QR Code that will take readers directly to the CDCR/CCHCS GARE website.