In 2020, In Harmony Therapeutic Services created a non-hierarchical Intersectional Anti-Racism Team (IART) and subsequent action plan with a pledge to the community to commit to the practice of anti-racist policies, procedures, attitudes and actions. As part of our action plan, we committed to organization wide training which occurred during our Board Retreat in early 2022. Ajah Hales, race educator, led this training to guide us in finding some shared language around our values regarding the issues of race, equity and justice. When reflecting upon the most ethical way to commit to dismantling oppressive practices within the organization, the field of arts therapies and the community at large, the IART concluded it was best to decenter the part of the work pertaining to the adoption of ideas (i.e. “anti-racism”) and instead center continuous action. This fall, the Board of Directors unanimously agreed to dissolve the IART and has pledged to integrate anti-oppressive practices into the work we do at every level. Staff, board members, and volunteers at In Harmony will now be called and expected to participate in a daily effort to act upon these values. See our updated values statements here.