Oklahoma Human Services establishes internal Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
OKLAHOMA CITY (May 18, 2021) – Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) has established the first-ever internal Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB).
True North
The Council is supported by True North Executive Strategy E7: Build a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion within Oklahoma Human Services. Secretary of Human Services and DHS Director Justin Brown established an external Council of Voices in 2019 to engage under-represented communities served by OKDHS. Out of that effort, the internal Council on DEIB was developed to provide resources to staff and partners to understand how to evaluate and address systemic bias.
Council composition
- Members were chosen through a survey process that removed all identifying information pertaining to gender, race and ethnicity.
- 15 members and 15 alternates were selected with 10 additional individuals who may be called upon to serve as needed.
- Members represent an array of different job positions, geographic locations, program areas, and demographic characteristics.
Council officers
Officers were elected by the council.
- Chair: Comfort Keidel, Foster Care Recruitment, Tulsa County
- Vice Chair: Raja’ee Fatihah, Office of Client Advocacy, State Office, OKC
- Secretary: Melissa Mayes, Child Care Licensing, Cherokee County
“I am passionate about the work of the DEIB Council because I have experienced and observed discrimination as a foster parent and employee,” said Comfort Keidel, Council Chair. “I have witnessed the way our minority and LGBTQ children in custody are treated and the pain they are experiencing fortifies my drive to do this work. I want to be a part of this council to empower all people and to bring sincere and sustained change to the agency. The key to healing our biggest issues is transformative and authentic connection, which requires vulnerability and new approaches to understanding the needs and wounds of others. If you have ever felt like you are in the shadows, now is your time to shine.”
Council imperatives
- Represent, value and respect unique identities, cultures, ideas, values, experiences and perspectives.
- Provide all individuals the same access and opportunities to grow, advance and succeed, and work to identify and eliminate barriers to flourishing.
- Invite, welcome and value all perspectives and strive to elicit and include voices that may be underrepresented.
- Welcome and accept, without judgement, every person as their authentic self and support and encourage connection.
“This council is a critical first step toward valuing the unique experiences of OKDHS employees and leveraging their diverse contributions to become a more attractive employer, a more productive agency and a better steward of personal independence,” said Raja’ee Fatihah, Council Vice Chair. “I look forward to working with the DEIB Council to lay the groundwork for a culture of trust within, and emanating from, Oklahoma Human Services to maximize the potential of both our workforce and the people we serve.”
Top three council priorities
- DEIB Training for all staff to create and provide a safe space where all people are welcome to discuss concerns, criticisms and experiences.
- Equity support to determine where inequities and systemic biases may exist in each division.
- Communications Strategy to engage all staff and partners - including providers, sister state agencies, law enforcement and the courts - to assist in the creation and implementation of processes that are equitable and inclusive to all communities.
“The importance of the DEIB Council is that it provides a safe platform to recognize that disparities - and not being treated fairly - are real and hurtful,” said Melissa Mayes, Council Secretary. “My involvement is not only to share my life experiences of exclusions, but to be part of the solution with OKDHS and the communities we serve. I want to be part of the good things that are happening to show the world that Oklahoma can and will change the conversation from inequality to equality; exclusion to inclusion; and from despair to hope.”
The OKDHS Diversity Council meets once per month and council members and officers serve six month terms.
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