SVFS’s Statement on Racism

We treat trauma every day at St. Vincent Family Services. It’s what we do.

Instead of, “What’s wrong with you?” we ask, “What happened to you?”

We help families cope with their lived experiences of trauma and try to overcome the challenges they’ve faced to build a healthier future for their children.

And it should not go unrecognized that those traumas often stem from far greater injustices woven into our societal framework. We cannot begin to ask “What happened to you?” without first acknowledging the institutional biases that afflict our humanity. Systemic trauma disproportionately affects our minority citizens, as a result of deeply rooted inequities planted firmly in the foundation of our culture.

We believe there is no greater trauma than living in an unsafe world that minimizes and negates racism.

I stand in support of declaring racism a public health crisis in the state of Ohio and for immediate public policy actions to address persistent racial intolerances – for the families we serve, for my colleagues I serve alongside, and for the community we are building for the children of our future.

We have dedicated our work to an unwavering belief in our mission – to make good kids better. And now, they need us to do better – together.

 

Susan Lewis Kaylor

President & CEO, St. Vincent Family Services