Multicultural Mission Statement

The Counseling and Wellness Services staff at the University of West Florida are committed to promoting and enhancing the well-being of all students. As a staff, we are devoted to affirming and honoring the uniqueness of each individual. We also work to understand each individual from their cultural context based on an individual’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, age, ability, religious/spiritual practices, family of origin, region, size/body type, and political beliefs.

Additionally, we are active in addressing systemic forces such as prejudice, discrimination, and oppression that hinder both optimal student development and an affirming campus community.

Based on our commitment to affirming the cultural diversity of all students, we are dedicated to:

• Conducting culturally informed individual, couples, and group counseling
• Providing diversity-affirmative training/supervision
• Integrating cultural content into education/outreach programs
• Offering diversity-affirmative psychoeducational information
• Partnering with campus departments and personnel devoted to issues of diversity
• Exploring the impact of our own cultural values, beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes
• Engaging in continual professional development on issues of diversity