Background
The Diocese of Cleveland in the Northern Ohio area was founded in 1847 by Bishop Louis A. Rappe, who served for over three decades. He laid the foundation for the charity events that the organization runs as it seeks to provide help and create hope for the needy in society. Today, the organization is the leading provider of comprehensive health and human services organizations in Northeast Ohio as a fulfillment of Christ’s healing mission. The Diocese of Cleveland partners with its sister ministries of Rose-Mary and St. Augustine in service delivery. The organization provides numerous services in the northern Ohio region. It runs over 200 programs spread across 60 locations that serve nearly half a million individuals annually. Some of the services offered include mental health, prevention, athletics, substance use treatment, disability services, foster care, older adult services, migration and refugee services, and emergency assistance.
The Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland seeks to attract dedicated men and women seeking employment opportunities at the organization. Such individuals should show total commitment to distinction in health and human services. The organization is guided by core values, which include hope, concern for the poor, justice, the dignity of the person, and stewardship. Catholic Charities promises the employees satisfaction through working in a team where they can operate on purpose by engaging individual professional abilities in serving in the mission-based organization. This paper explores diversity in the organization as it relates to the management, the workers, and the people it helps.
Organizational Leadership
Organizations commonly adopt different styles of management by allowing leaders the opportunity to set strategic goals. Leadership helps to motivate individuals within the organization to conduct their duties to meet the set objectives effectively. An organization should embrace diversity to enhance the successful attainment of its mission. Therefore, diversity should be an integral component of the leading infrastructure at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland. It provides an avenue for including people with a wide array of qualities in leadership.
Leadership at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland comprises three diverse levels of management. The overall leader is the Bishop of Cleveland, currently occupied by Bishop Edward C. Malesic. The Bishop ensures that the Catholic Charities mission of Jesus is fulfilled by helping the needy through an integrated scheme of excellent assistance that respects the status of everybody and creates an equal and humane society. The Bishop is also a member of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors comprises members drawn from diverse and accomplished experiences. The organization requires these individuals to be deeply and strongly connected to mission-based Catholic Charities. The team guides the organization by developing long-term plans and financial management and guaranteeing accountability of the organization to the public. The members are tasked with making high-level strategic decisions for the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland organization to attain its mission of helping the needy. The organization’s Board comprises six ex-officio members and thirty officers drawn from diverse fields and races, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Whites.
The third level of leadership comprises executive leadership. The executive team is tasked with managing the operational side of the organization, which involves handling the day-to-day activities and working directly with the staff, volunteers, and other groups to accomplish the organization’s mission. The executive leadership comprises four men and one woman with diverse expertise, including the president and CEO, the chief administrative officer, the chief program officer, the chief finance officer, and the executive director of mission and specialized ministries.
Lower-level and/or hourly workers
Under the executive team are the senior program leadership and the senior administrative leadership. The senior program leadership comprises senior directors for family services, clinical officer, treatment, prevention & recovery services, and regional services. The senior administrative leadership includes the general counsel, the director of the diocesan social action office, and senior directors of advancement, organizational development, human resources, and risk management. The senior leadership is diverse as it involves people drawn from different areas of expertise that enhance service delivery. However, the team is made up of nine women versus one man.
It employs over 1,500 individuals who collectively work to guarantee the provision of social services to the community with compassion, quality, and integrity. The Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland prides itself as a top employer where people feel supported to live purpose-ridden lives at the personal and professional levels. The organization welcomes professional development, creativity, work-life balance, and diversity as it strives to ensure the employees prosper and grow. At St. Philip Neri, the program staff comprises five females against one male. Whereas the women originate from the United States, the male employee who serves as the CDCA, Program Coordinator is from Iraq. Besides assisting the migrants and refugees, the organization has gone further to provide employment services for such individuals within its structures.
In addition, the Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland is home to over 15,600 volunteers. The organization encourages individuals desiring to help others to volunteer. Diversity is captured by various volunteer openings for individuals, families, groups of all faiths, and businesses, regardless of age. Volunteers are assisted in finding placements that match their talents, abilities, and interests.
Customers
The Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland continues the mission of Jesus Christ by serving every person in need. Some diverse programs and services cover individuals and families from all backgrounds and beliefs. It applies a holistic strategy to care for the entire family through education and aggressive programs where the community gets involved. Programs include early childhood prevention, mental health, youth mentoring, and parenting classes. Specialized services are custom-made to meet the needs of each individual and community. The organization can provide the services in person or through different channels, including telehealth.
Individuals desiring substance abuse treatment are supported through an array of programs and services to meet the needs of each recovering individual best. Examples include peer support counseling, residential addiction treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and medication-assisted options. The programs and services support individuals and create hope for all, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, disability, or ability to pay. The organization further supports camping and sports activities through which people can experience physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental growth. Catholic Charities provides adoption and foster care services for families of all backgrounds to ensure foster children find a home. The disabled community is catered for through education and meeting social and spiritual needs.
Collaboration with different agencies (public and private), local organizations, and religious institutions provide a way to meet vulnerable communities’ needs in emergencies. Activities include providing clothing, shelter, food, and other individual needs. The older adults are helped through adult day programs, home-delivered meal services, and senior case management, notwithstanding their creed, race, ethnicity, or ability to pay. Migrants and refugees are assisted by being evacuated from their countries to safe regions.