ISPN Creating an Organizational Diversity Vision: Goals, Outcomes, and Future Directions of the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses Edilma L. Yearwood, Vicki Hines-Martin, Candy Dato, and Mary Malone The aim of this article was to chronicle the development and status of a diversity vision within a psychiatric nursing organization. Organizational activities to support diversity and cultural competence, along with challenges to a full integration of these values, are presented. Psychiatric nurses need to be engaged in the process of developing personal and organizational cultural competence to eliminate barriers that contribute to disparities in effective mental health care. D 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. I T HAS CLEARLY been shown in The Global Burden of Disease (2000) that psychiatric conditions such as depression, substance abuse, suicide, and violence in its many forms are adversely affecting the physical and mental health, quality of life, and overall functioning of a significant number of citizens worldwide. This fact has relevance for the United States as there has been a dramatic increase in individuals from diverse populations as a result of the vast numbers of immigrants entering the country and the increased numbers of live births within these immigrant groups. According to the surgeon gen- eral’s report on mental health (Department of Health and Human Services, 2001b, p. 3), bracial and ethnic minorities bear a greater burden from unmet mental health needs and thus suffer a greater loss to their overall health and productivity.Q Globally and nationally, there are critical numbers of individuals across the life span who are unable to access a range of health care services or who experience barriers when they do access care. Consequently, both the World Health Organization (2001) and the Department of Health and Human Services, 2001a targeted the elimination of dispar- ities in health care. At this critical time, psychiatric nurse educators, clinicians, researchers, and spe- cialty groups are in unique positions to effect a change in reducing health care barriers and disparities through their practice. The Institute of Medicine [IOM] (2004), in its report entitled bIn the nation’s compelling interest: Ensuring diversity in the health-care workforce,Q endorsed the value and benefits of diversity as well as a diverse health care workforce and pointed out that b[d]iversity is associated with improved access to care for racial and ethnic minority patients and greater patient choice and satisfactionQ (p. 1) and that b[t]here is a need for competent, compassionate health professionals who have the necessary com- munication skills for our increasingly diverse societyQ (xiii). Its report identified four principles that enhance organizational diversity. These included (1) the need to affirm the value of diversity, From the Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, Washington, DC; University of Louisville School of Nursing, Louisville, KY; Long Island University School of Nursing, Brooklyn, NY; Jefferson Community and Technical College, Louisville, KY. Address reprint requests to Edilma L. Yearwood, PhD, APRN, BC, Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, 3700 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC 20057. E-mail address: ely2@georgetown.edu. D 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 0883-9417/1801-0005$30.00/0 doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2006.01.001 Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, Vol. 20, No. 3 (June), 2006: pp 152–156 152