MEDIA CONTACT
Rachel Lee Cummings, Executive Director
Counseling Service of Addison County
802-388-6751
rcummings@csac-vt.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2022
Counseling Service of Addison County Releases Anti-Racism Statement
Middlebury, VT — The Counseling Service of Addison County (CSAC) is Addison County’s designated mental health and developmental services agency. At CSAC's September Board of Directors meeting, the Board unanimously voted to issue a statement affirming CSAC’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.
Sarah McGowen Audet, President of CSAC’s Board of Directors says, "CSAC's commitment to becoming anti-racist is one step forward in creating a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive community. It has long been our mission to help people live emotionally healthy and satisfying lives, and this moves us closer to that vision." We humbly share the statement below:
The Board of Directors and Management Team of the Counseling Service of Addison County (CSAC) acknowledge that racism is long-standing, widespread, and systemic. The effects of racism impact everyone.
We have a shared obligation to dismantle all forms of harmful bias. We are choosing to begin this work by focusing on race. Therefore, CSAC resolves to:
- Provide inclusive and equitable service to our whole community by examining and addressing racism in our practices, procedures, and policies.
- Strive for continuous improvement by examining our conscious and unconscious biases, constructive and destructive behaviors, and the resulting intended and unintended impacts.
- Put our words into action by engaging in ongoing education and implementing what we learn.
- Hold ourselves accountable by setting measurable targets, assessing our progress, and encouraging discussion. This work toward anti-racism, justice, equity, and belonging is essential to our mission, which states that “CSAC is committed to…helping people live emotionally healthy and satisfying lives.”
To learn more about CSAC, please visit www.csac-vt.org.
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