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Categories Insights Tags CEO Insights, Corporate Updates, Health, Special Populations

Workplace Diversity

Workplace Diversity 

By: Anton C. Bizzell, M.D.

It seems like such a simple word, but it can cause such anxiety.

What do you immediately think of when you hear that word? Do you roll your eyes? Do you dismiss it as just another politically correct term? I doubt that you think that companies with diverse teams outperform industry standards by 35% as reported by Forbes. I doubt that you think of all the wonderful benefits, professionally and personally, that you can obtain by working in a diversified setting. Workplace diversity “refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. Diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, education background, and more. Diversity not only involves how people perceive others but also how those perceptions affect their actions.” Diversity isn’t just another HR buzzword. Diversity helps to propel us forward and it is one of The Bizzell Group’s (Bizzell) most essential core values.

Companies are made better by drawing upon the collective wisdom and strength honed from a workforce that is comprised of many differences. The Small Business Chronicle reports that “in an era of economic globalization, many companies are making efforts to achieve workplace diversity. Understanding the advantages of workplace diversity helps establish an organization with a competitive edge. Companies that cultivate a diverse workforce reap the benefits of increased productivity and creativity and gain the reputation of an employer that hires talented people without regard to race, ethnicity or gender.”

Companies should embrace the notion of diversity and not just for the sake of diversity, but because there are real and tangible benefits associated with having a workforce that is more reflective of American society. As you stroll through your office and see your colleagues in the hallways, it’s clear that you don’t all look alike. You don’t all share the same religion or culture. You don’t all think or act the same. And, that is good. The world is changing. But, change can sometimes bring pain. It is everyone’s job to mitigate that discomfort by helping to create an environment where everyone can feel safe and secure in bringing their full selves and their complete experiences to work every day. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and I know that we are better because of our differences, not in spite of our differences.

Categories Insights Tags CEO Insights, Core Values, Corporate Updates

We Are Our Core Values

Excellence. Integrity. Service.

These are not just idle words.

Innovation. Diversity. Collaboration.

They have power.

Professional Development. People first.

They have meaning.

These words, taken individually, convey a singular message. Together, they form the building blocks of The Bizzell Group (Bizzell)- they are our core values. These traits have always been the driving force behind our success, even if we failed to articulate them appropriately.

At our holiday party at the end of last year, we placed special emphasis on our core values by providing recognition to and awards for individual employees who best represented that respective value. Although individuals were honored, all Bizzell employees strive for and possess these characteristics. They are important to me as an individual, and crucial for us as a company as we continue to grow and expand. These values sustained us through the lean years when we first operated out of the basement of my home, and they have propelled us from those humble beginnings to where we are today; and, they will drive us deep into the future. Our core values set the standard. They call for the best in all of us.

Each day when Bizzell employees walk through our doors, they strive for excellence. They walk in with integrity. They think about professional development and they aim for innovation. They celebrate diversity, collaboration, and put people first. And, they think of ways to be of service, not only to Bizzell or their colleagues, but also to the communities in which we serve.

At Bizzell, our core values guide our daily work from our efforts in global health, to workforce development, to energy, to mental health services, and more. I know that every task performed by our employees is not always glamorous or thrilling, but we find meaning and purpose in all that we called to do because our core values are our guiding principle.

We are Bizzell. We are our core values.

– Anton Bizzell, M.D.
President & CEO

Categories Insights, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention Tags American Association of Suicidology, Behavioral Health, Health, Mental Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Special Populations, Thought Leadership, Youth

Black Youth and Suicide

Suicide rates among black youth have never been higher than they are now. A 2016 CNN report indicates that the suicide rate among young black boys, ages 5 to 11, has nearly doubled within the past two decades. The increase was large enough to raise the “deaths due to suicide” rate among all black children from 1.36 to 2.54 per million. Hanging and suffocation are the most common suicide methods in black boys, accounting for 78% of all suicide deaths. Shooting is the second most common method of suicide and accounts for more than 17% of the cases.

Causes of the increase remain unknown, but the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that black youth are more likely to be exposed to violence and trauma than other children, and those stressors have been linked to suicidal behavior. Black youth are also less likely to receive services for mental health issues, such as depression and suicidal tendencies, than other youth. NAMI also reports that the shame and stigma associated with mental health issues within the black community may be a reason for the lack of treatment.

Undoing the stigmatization of mental health care is an ongoing challenge in the black community. Addressing mental health stigma and ensuring appropriate, proper care for black boys who are suicidal or exhibiting warning signs is crucial in the reduction of suicide rates. Some health care professionals have begun to reframe conversations about mental health to remove clinical labels and contour conversations to reflect positive themes within communities of color. Jessmina Archbold, a social worker and mental health advocate in New York, suggests that it is imperative to educate white mental health care professionals about how to engage communities of color. She has coined her reframed approach as a “strength-building process” as opposed to treating an “illness.”

Adults who deal with children, including parents and teachers, must be trained to recognize the warning signs of suicide and know how to intervene properly. All threats and talk of suicide by children and youth should be taken seriously.

According to the American Association of Suicidology, the following behaviors or symptoms may signal a suicidal crisis in a young person:

  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Anxiety, agitation, trouble sleeping or sleeping all of the time
  • Expressions of having no reason for living or no sense of purpose in life
  • Feelings of being trapped, like there’s no way out
  • Increased alcohol and/or drug use
  • Withdrawal from friends, family and community
  • Rage, uncontrolled anger, expressions of wanting or seeking revenge
  • Reckless behavior or more risky activities, seemingly without thinking
  • Dramatic mood changes
  • Giving away prized possessions

More research is needed to explain the factors involved in the increased rates of suicide among young black boys. Adults are encouraged to talk to young children about mental health, emotions, and suicide. Research has dispelled the idea that asking children directly about suicide will trigger suicidal thinking or behavior.

Categories Insights, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Substance Use Disorder Tags Conference Services, Contacts, Health, Technical Assistance & Training

International Overdose Awareness Day

THE BIZZELL GROUP SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY

Lanham, MD – The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) – International Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on August 31st each year and aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have met with death or permanent injury because of drug overdose.

Opioid addiction is a problem with far reaching costs to individuals, families, communities, and to society. According to the American Society for Addiction Medicine, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, with 52,404 lethal drug overdoses in 2015.  Opioid addiction is driving this epidemic, with 20,101 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 12,990 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2015. The government’s annual drug death statistics for 2016 will not be available until the late 2017, but experts predict sharp increases driven by the worsening opioid crisis.

Bizzell’s work includes projects that support the treatment of addiction, drug use, drug misuse, and overdose.  Through the firm’s work with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Bizzell offers workforce competency efforts for pain management and addiction professionals with the development and implementation of multifaceted initiatives and strategies to address opioid use disorder and related conditions.

Bizzell also offers training for medical and other professionals through a 7-hour workshop, Effective Use of Medication Assisted Treatment in an Opioid Dependent Population. The goal of the training is to provide the clinical and administrative staff of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) with up-to-date information and guidance in the treatment of opioid use disorders, including the effective use of the currently approved medications, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.

“The devastating role that addiction and substance use disorders play in our society cannot be overstated. If you are not personally affected by alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs containing opiates or other drugs, then I’m certain that you know someone who is. Substance use disorders do not discriminate; no demographic or group is immune or exempt from it. It affects us all.”

– Dr. Anton Bizzell, President and CEO


International Overdose Awareness Day will be marked throughout the world with various public events and presentations. In Washington, D.C., Dr. Nzinga Harrison’s lecture Your Community. Your Conversation, will take place at Howard University Hospital Tower Auditorium, 2041 Georgia Ave NW, from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm on Thursday, August 31st.

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