Social justice statements 

Land Statement

Aspen Ridge Mental Health honors and acknowledges that our offices and the greater city of Denver reside within the traditional homelands of Indigenous people, particularly the territories of Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Hinono’eino’ biito’owu’ (Arapahoe), and Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute).

Further, we recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are tied to the land of Colorado. We respect and affirm the many Indigenous people still connected to this land and thriving while we also acknowledge the history of the land being stolen and forced removal through means of genocide, exploitation, and colonialism that has done profound harm on Native nations. May this acknowledgement remind us of the continual growth, learning, and healing we’re committed to as individuals and as a company. 

Anti-Racism Statement 

We at Aspen Ridge Mental Health recognize the system of oppression, racism, and white supremacy that our society has been built on. Through generational trauma and continued impact, this system has continued to harm black, brown, indigenous people, and other marginalized groups in our community. 

Aspen Ridge Mental Health has long upheld a stance of social justice and equity in mental health. It is a core value of our group and our team members for everyone in our community to have access to affordable, excellent, and culturally-sensitive care. 

Being anti-racist is not the same as not being racist. It is more than simply stepping away from the problem. It takes action. 

At Aspen Ridge Mental Health, we define anti-racist work as actively working to dismantle the system of white supremacy. It is acknowledging the negative impact the system, and our inaction in it, has had on our clients of color. It is resolving to explicitly and actively give up power as white individuals.

We commit to practicing anti-racism in our clinical work by/through:

• Approaching our work through cultural humility and the acknowledgment that all cultures and identities are equally valid and these identities are defined by the individuals themselves
• Acknowledging our own racial and cultural identities and the impact these have on ourselves and our clients in the therapeutic relationship
• Acknowledging our clients’ racial and cultural identities as they define them and being open to exploring the impact these have on our clients’ lives
• Acknowledging and naming the impact that the system of white supremacy has had on our clients in how they approach their lives, their mental health, and their difficulties. 
• Acknowledging the role white supremacy played in the formation of psychological theories, mental health diagnoses, and assessment tools, and working with clients from a lens of cultural humility in order to minimize potential psychological harm within the areas of therapy, diagnostics, and assessment.
• Identifying the privileges we hold as individual providers, committing to being aware of how certain privileges and identities could impact a therapeutic space, and approaching such awareness with cultural humility with our clients
• Promoting and participating in advocacy work within our clinical roles and outside of those roles to promote equity.

We commit to practicing anti-racism in our organization by/through:

• Ongoing training focused on anti-racist work for all our staff which encourages active participation and exploration
• Participating in group discussions and self-reflections using anti-racist materials, such as Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad. 
• Continuing to cover services for all major insurance companies, including Medicaid
• Providing sliding scale options for clients who are unable to afford services
• Continuing to seek out opportunities for constructive criticism and growth in an acknowledgement that we as a company are still learning
• Incorporating and emphasizing antiracist work and education into our training program and supervision of externs, doctoral interns, postmasters and postdoctoral residents
• Being intentional about providing resources and referrals to clients that also align with our anti-racism practices. 

We commit to practicing anti-racism in our community by/through:

• Actively engaging in community volunteer work as a company and as individuals
• Building awareness of political issues pertaining to mental health issues as a team and advocating for minority populations within such political issue.

We acknowledge that our work will never be done and we are committed to inviting feedback from clients or the community surrounding our ongoing efforts. Being anti-racist is an action and not an end goal. We promise to continue to strive for excellence through our work and acknowledge our imperfections and mistakes as a group, and as individuals.  

Accessibility Statement

We are continuously working to improve the accessibility of content on our website in order to better serve our clients. We have installed an accessibility widget that you can find in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. If you are still having trouble seeing our website, we recommend reviewing the resources listed below to help optimize your computer and browser to improve your online experience: