Our community has recently been facing the devastating reality of racial injustice brought on by the senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. We have been tragically reminded of a reality that the black community and people of color continue to deal with in this country, racial injustice, which, as we all know, reflects a systemic and brutal history of racism and supports a system of criminal and social injustice.

As an organization, Horizon House stands with those who have risen to speak out against systemic racism and injustice to litigate change. Over the last few weeks, we have seen the beginnings of what we can hope are significant changes as the protests in the streets have gained the ear of the country. People are listening, and at Horizon House, we believe we absolutely share in the responsibility to make real, long-lasting change within our Agency and across the community.

• At Horizon House we are committed to using our collective voice to define our place in what we hope is a historic time and making real change.
• Horizon House will create a task force that will be charged with identifying the existence of any systemic bias within the organization.
• The task force will also be charged with recommending viable opportunities for our Agency to support the broader movement within our community.
• This task force will report directly to me and will prepare a report that will be presented to our Board of Directors.

These commitments were the basis of our organization’s original foundation over 68 years ago. Our organization was founded by a group of Quakers who believed that by working together with, and on behalf of people struggling with mental illness, they could change their community. It was their collective commitment to the values that they shared that has brought our Agency to where we are today.

We Value People – We believe people should be treated with dignity, respect, fairness, and consideration in environments that are safe and comfortable and that support individual advancement.

We Value Growth – We believe that personal growth is promoted through attention to present strengths and not past weaknesses. The development of community supports and resources enhances the quality of life.

We Value Diversity -We believe that an atmosphere of mutual respect for each other’s differences adds quality to our services and is essential to the rehabilitation process.

We Value Shared ideas – We believe that listening is a crucial part of effective communication and that consumers should actively participate in their service planning.

We Value Advocacy – We believe that everyone is responsible for bringing about the change necessary to benefit those we serve to the fullest extent.

I strongly believe that it is that same collective commitment that will define our contribution to the success of the movement before us to eliminate the systemic racism that remains today in 2020.

Jeff Wilush
President & CEO