The BHA has developed a number of initiatives that include diversity and mediation training that will empower both residents and employees to work cooperatively together to build a more peaceful BHA community. Several years ago, the BHA established an independent Office of Civil Rights to demonstrate the agency's commitment to fair housing and employment and to continue to develop a diversity program for the agency. Through this effort, the Office of Civil Rights developed a Civil Rights Protection Plan in 1996 that informed employees how alleged civil rights violations should be addressed. Since then, the agency has published a resident Civil Rights Brochure and set up a 24-hour Civil Rights Hotline that residents can use to report incidents. In addition, the Office of Civil Rights has developed the following resident and employee programs:

• The Mediation, Leadership and Team Building through Diversity Program: This program includes training and workshops for both residents and employees. A five-day training for both groups teaches skills that enable people to communicate across cultures and address cultural conflicts. Participants leave with a greater understanding of themselves and others, which prepares them to be better leaders, and an ability to evaluate conflicts and facilitate communication. This program has allowed the BHA to develop an in-house mediation program where residents in a dispute can opt to resolve their problem through mediation. The BHA is one of the few housing agencies in the country that offer residents in dispute a mediation program.
  
  
• Building a Diverse and Empowered Community Program: Participants in this program for residents are given an opportunity to obtain an in-depth understanding of diversity issues. Through this interactive and hands-on workshop, participants gain a better understanding of what we have in common as well as our differences and how to use both to strengthen communities. The skills gained in the training enable people to communicate across cultures and to address cultural conflicts while maintaining their cultural identities. These workshops are given at BHA developments and consist of four sessions that last three hours each. This is a voluntary program and residents who wish to attend are welcome.
  
  
• Team Building through Diversity Program: All BHA employees are required to take part in a two day civil rights and diversity training that includes: the legal and social context of discrimination, harassment, bias crime, and fair housing; the procedures of the Civil Rights Protection Plan; the issues and requirements of the Jane Doe Settlement and Agreement; and information to help employees develop the leadership skills needed to address, resolve and prevent bias-related incidents. Following the completion of employee training, the BHA will begin a refresher workshop while continuing to offer the two-day training for new employees.