June 24, 2020

The trauma, pain and collective grief felt after the death of George Floyd and the subsequent unrest in our community has led to a dialogue about grief and trauma in our communities that is long overdue. Many members of our broader community and of our People Incorporated community have begun to ask questions that address the manner in which we attend to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as the historic and systemic trauma that is epidemic in our communities, and more specifically, our communities of color.

These questions have never been more vitally important for all of us to answer. Our commitment to engaged and rigorous dialogue and sustainable change in these areas as individuals, organizations, communities, and country is our only way forward, and at People Incorporated, we’re committed to this dialogue and the opportunities to learn and grow. We have long served individuals that experience marginalization, disregard, and discrimination. We are painfully aware of the significant numbers of those we serve that live with systemic and historic trauma, and we have strived to make this trauma awareness an active part of the important work we do with these individuals.

We see how the trauma experienced by so many has weakened and created disease, and that trauma left untreated can and will continue to create a host of mental health symptoms that impair an individual’s functioning and quality of life. Trauma left untreated can become progressive; it will not go away on its own and will worsen over time. As an organization, we have committed to making trauma-informed care an important part of the work we do because it matters, is necessary, and because we see the destructive path trauma has on our communities.