The Guidance Center’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We celebrate people of all races, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, cultures, nationalities (without regard to immigration status), religions, ages, sizes, abilities, and neurodiversities.

Black lives matter. Systemic racism causes inequities in physical and behavioral health, education, and other systems. We are committed to providing culturally-competent services. To accomplish this, people of color must have a voice at all levels of our organization.

People with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE) deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Intolerance and discrimination have serious impacts on them, their loved ones and the community. We are committed to providing a safe and affirming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions can find support and unconditional acceptance.

Creating a culture in which we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion and strive to dismantle oppression is critical to our mission to: Nurture development. Foster resilience. Cultivate well-being.

Contact our DEI Council at DEICouncilMembers@iamtgc.onmicrosoft.com

Our SOGIE Commitment

In working to dismantle oppression and promote diversity, equity and inclusion, The Guidance Center is committed to providing a safe and affirming space where staff and clients of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions can find support and unconditional acceptance to: Nurture development. Foster resilience. Cultivate well-being.

Contact our SOGIE Committee at SOGIECouncil@iamtgc.onmicrosoft.com

Meet our DEI/SOGIE Team

Laura Huot
She/her
Adrienne Sewell
She/her/hers
Pasquale Vignola
He/him/his
Nicole Duckworth
She/her/hers
Shawn Rodgers
She/her/hers
Jamcia Berry
She/her
Destiny Flowers-Fayad
She/her/hers
Erin Blaim
She/they
Melissa Gonzalez
She/her
Jenai Williams
She/her
Jasmine Reed
She/her
Melissa Goodwin
She/her/they
Sara Swanson
She/they

Coming soon!

DEI Information and Resources

What is race? Race is a loose classification of human beings into different categories on the basis of their biological characteristics. There have been a variety of schemes for race classification based on physical characteristics such as skin color, head shape, eye color and shape, nose size and shape, etc. Race is a human created construct; there is no actual biological way to group people that is accurate.

What is ethnicity? Ethnicity is a group of people whose members identify with each other through a common heritage often involving of a common language, a common culture (often including a shared religion), and common ancestry.

BUY TICKETS – Music Hall Detroit

Detroit Museum Information – Detroit Regional Chamber (detroitchamber.com)

Arab American National Museum – Arab American History and Culture (arabamericanmuseum.org)

Coming soon!

Mental Health By the Numbers | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Suggested reading list for children

Suggested reading list for adults

1. Update TGC policies to reflect cultural humility and inclusivity

2. Update physical spaces to be more welcoming and reflect the diversity of staff and the people we serve

3. Update staff hiring and onboarding practices to reflect TGC’s commitment to DEI

4. Implement ongoing DEI training for people throughout the organization

5. Celebrate holidays and commemorate important dates in history that reflect the diversity of people in our community

6. Ensure TGC’s promotional materials reflect DEI ideals

7. Ensure equity in TGC’s service provision and outcomes

SOGIE Information and Resources

What is SOGIE? SOGIE stands for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression. Everyone has a sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, and can be thought of in terms of to whom you are attracted, the gender you identify as, and how you show it to others. Human sexuality is diverse.

Diversity is a natural characteristic of human sexuality and can look different in various settings. We recognize that sexual attraction can and does happen between people of the same or different genders, and we do not always fit into traditional gender roles and identities.

Coming soon!

Behaviors That Help (pdf)

Behaviors That Hurt (pdf)

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