Specialist Services & Special Projects

DiversityByDesign is a comprehensive DEBI program designed to help organisations create inclusive environments that drive innovation, performance, and employee engagement. 

Human services organisations have diverse workers including staff cohorts, such as First Nations people, people with a lived experience of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, LGBTIQA+, asylum seekers and immigrant, neurodiversity, age and disability, and need to have inclusion strategies and actions as part of their responsibility to a psychologically safe workplace.

Diversity: Encompasses demographics such as gender, age, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, location, nationality, disability status, and more. The more diverse the workplace is, the broader the range of these demographics. Yet, simply having a diverse workplace is insufficient. The key is to prioritise creating a workplace environment that embraces and supports workers from diverse backgrounds.

Equity: An equitable workplace means that every person receives equal opportunities, is treated fairly, and has the resources they need to succeed, regardless of their background.

Belonging: All workers should feel accepted, valued, and heard at work. Belonging is about fostering psychological safety in groups, where every person is comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment or retribution. Belonging is a key driver of workplace culture success.

An inclusive culture values and respects diversity, allowing everyone to contribute their unique perspectives and expertise. The workplace can attract a more diverse range of workers by actively investing in creating a safe and inclusive environment.

Inclusion: An inclusive environment means that all workers are treated with respect and care, despite any differences, and are made to feel welcome, valued, and heard. 

Requiring individuals with diverse backgrounds to conform in these environments will cause them to lose their unique value. The key is to accept, and work effectively with diversity, to create improved outcomes for the organisation and the people you serve. 

Optional components:

1. DEBI Assessment:

• Evaluate current organizational DEBI practices and culture
• Identify gaps and opportunities for improvement

2. Diverse-by-Design Team Building:

• Create  teams with intentional diversity in skills, identities, and lived experiences
• Develop  strategies to maximise collective intelligence and creativity

3. Inclusive  Leadership Development:

• Train  leaders to foster inclusive environments
• Develop  skills for leading diverse teams and driving innovation

4. Inclusive  Innovation Workshops:

• Implement   inclusive design and systems thinking methodologies
• Engage  diverse stakeholders in co-creation processes

5. DEIB Strategy Formulation:

• Develop  a tailored DEBI strategy aligned with organisational goals and culture
• Create  action plans for sustainable DEIB integration

6. Inclusive Policies and Practices Audit:

• Review  and refine HR policies, recruitment practices, and organisational  processes
• Ensure   alignment with DEIB principles

7. DEIB  Metrics and Accountability:

• Implement  measurement systems to track DEBI progress
• Develop  accountability frameworks for leaders and teams

DiversityByDesign is designed to help organisations move beyond performative DEBI initiatives to create transformative change. By integrating DEBI principles into all aspects of the organisation, from leadership to daily operations, this program aims to unlock the full potential of diversity, driving both social impact and organisational success. DiversityByDesign will help organisations build DEBI "by design, not by default," creating sustainable, inclusive cultures that drive performance and innovation in the Community and human services sectors and beyond.

Community services play a crucial role in supporting people in their communities. To ensure the effectiveness of these services, there are times when it is important to provide supervision for individuals and teams. Supervision is particularly important for non-clinical teams and peer workers in the community-led mental health sector, as they often face unique challenges and require specialised support.

Individual and Team Supervision in Community Mental Health

Individual supervision in community mental health services provides opportunities for reflection, skill development, and addressing challenges related to the work. 

Team supervision involves group sessions where the team comes together to discuss and reflect on their practice, share experiences, and collaborate on problem-solving.

Both forms of supervision are important for maintaining high-quality care and supporting the well-being of staff members. 

At Diverse Leaders, we have extensive experience in the Community Mental Health Sector and offer customised supervision services for your staff and teams. Supervision services delivered by Diverse Leaders prioritise inclusive and collaborative approaches in non-clinical mental health and wellbeing teams. This focus includes working with people with, and without, lived-living experiences. 

Our goal is to help team members recognise and value each other's unique contributions, promoting a stronger and more efficient team environment. We foster conversations that connect people and promotes the exchange of knowledge between people with diverse expertise.

Diverse Leaders employ supervision practices that prioritise trauma-informed approaches. This method acknowledges the potential effects of vicarious trauma on team members, understands that people may have unique and complex trauma experiences and offers ways to promote self-care and resilience. By proactively designing and delivering an evidence-based supervision program, we can prevent burnout and support the wellbeing of teams.

We would love to create supervisory services that are flexible and adaptable to the specific requirements of your staff and teams, catering to your organisational needs.