Nonprofit Stories: Courageous Conversations

What role do workplace conversations play in the promotion of equity, intersectionality, and respect? In a partnership with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ (DMHAS)Office of Multicultural Health Equity last summer, we sought to address this question with the staff of DMHAS facilities and private non-profits. Thusly, Courageous Conversations —a 3-day series where participants were promised a refreshed understanding of the role of facilitators as well as the chance to cultivate and use effective facilitation skills while developing strategies and considerations to handle challenging exchanges— was born. 

As a non-profit organization ourselves, we feel uniquely positioned to organize, market, and host these types of events. We were happy to support DMHAS’ efforts to increase important conversations across the state. As behavioral health professionals, every one of us is capable of leading a courageous conversation — we only need the facilitation skills to do so.