The Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) is committed to the promotion and affirmation of diversity in its broadest sense. Our mission requires that people of every background be able to use our services with an expectation of respectful treatment. The professional ethics and standards of the various mental health disciplines represented at CMHC place a high value on the dignity and worth of individuals regardless of their gender expression and identity, ethnicity, race, size, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, sex, affectional orientation, age, physical and mental abilities, religious beliefs, spiritual identities, and socioeconomic status. Therefore all staff members and trainees, as part of their professional functioning, are expected to respect the dignity and worth of the individual, and to strive for the preservation and protection of fundamental human rights.
A major goal of our agency is to maintain an atmosphere of respect and trust in which we feel free to explore and discuss our attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors in relation to others who are similar to and different from ourselves. As part of our service and training mission, we require of ourselves a commitment to work toward the recognition and elimination of prejudice and discrimination, especially those kinds which have traditionally affected mental health practice. In particular, prejudice and discrimination on the basis of gender expression and identity, ethnicity, race, size, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, affectional orientation, age, physical and mental abilities, religious beliefs, spiritual identities, and socioeconomic status run counter to our professional ethics. Such prejudice and discrimination are detrimental to all services and practices of CMHC, and to the development of effective relationships among all members of CMHC.
We also recognize that the promotion of diversity can highlight differences in values and perspectives. Exploring these differences is crucial for an environment that fosters personal and professional growth. As we strive to educate ourselves and others about the mental health issues of a multicultural society, we recognize that an examination of personal privileges and biases and their impact on our professional work is best accomplished within a climate of safety and respect. Therefore, staff members and trainees are expected to support each other in exploring their individual privileges and biases, and in cultivating positive attitudinal and behavioral change in one another. This CMHC Statement on Diversity serves as a living document that guides us and reflects both our enduring and evolving mission, vision, and values on diversity and inclusion.
Counseling & Mental Health Center, The University of Texas at Austin Adopted December 5, 1991, Revised September 14, 2007, Revised May 31, 2017
Office of the Vice President for Diverstiy and Community Engagement
