Culturally Responsive Wellness Supports for BIPOC Staff

Good Afternoon Comrades, 

I hope that you are well and ready to begin this much needed summer break! Thank you for all of your hard work and service to our students. I understand from personal experience and countless stories that BIPOC colleagues district-wide have shared with me how challenging it can be to find a BIPOC therapist in Portland. These look like some pretty awesome offerings from PPS for BIPOC high-school staff that we want to pass on. I hope that you are able to relax and recharge this summer and take advantage of these benefits if you think they may be helpful. Take care and please feel free to forward this message to any colleagues you think may benefit from these offerings. 

Keep raising hope,

Jacque Dixon & Nedra Miller

PAT Racial Equity Committee Chairs

Culturally Responsive Wellness Supports for BIPOC HS Staff

Note: These supports are available to high school staff only in accordance with the spending guidelines of Measure 98.

Dear Staff,

High School Success/ Measure 98 recognizes that a commitment to racial equity and social justice is also a commitment to supporting the mental health and well being of our staff of Color.  We also recognize that historical and ongoing trauma disproportionately impacts people of Color in our district and our society as a whole. Additionally, there are many barriers to accessing high quality mental health care for those who choose to seek it, including prohibitive cost and the availability of culturally responsive providers.

In partnership with our Student Success and Health colleagues, we are organizing to offer the following free supports over the summer:

  • Up to 10 free sessions with a BIPOC therapist from Raising An Alternative Perspective. Slots are limited and will be available on a first come first served basis. We will do our best to serve as many interested staff as possible.
  • Attend a facilitated wellness space for Black and/or non Black people of Color. The trained facilitators are people of Color.

We recognize that these offerings are limited and will not meet everyone’s needs, but believe that they may be helpful for some and would love to get feedback on what other supports the district could provide.

If you are interested in the above services and/or have feedback please complete this interest form

Participation will be confidential. Only a few staff supporting coordination of services will know of your participation. These services, which are being coordinated by staff of Color, are being offered in recognition of the exhaustion, burnout, and harm that educators of Color encounter both in and out of the workplace. We are hopeful that this benefit can make a positive difference for all who are able to use it.     


Best,

Ari

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Ari Yoo Kilsang Alberg

Director, High School Success

Office of Teaching & Learning

Portland Public Schools

Cell: 503.568.2640