Village Institute - Healthy Futures Ahead

Peer Facilitators Germaine, Alliance, and Zahra talk about their experiences with the Peer-to-Peer program of Village Futures.

In the newly renovated teen space at the Village Institute in Aurora, young women trained as peer facilitators come together with their friends, all of them from immigrant and refugee families. They gather up in groups, and in Dari, Swahili, Spanish, and other languages, they talk about mental health.

“We’re helping them run their own wellness workshops,” explains Monica Acosta, Director of the Village Futures Program. “The idea is to normalize the importance of taking care of oneself, and one’s family and community, with cultural uniqueness taken into account.” In this Peer-to-Peer Program, the Peer Facilitators lead groups on topics such as addressing stress, culture shock, and identity exploration. They also include activities like dance, art, and rock climbing.

The Peer-to-Peer program is one part of Village Futures, the Institute’s leadership, mental health, and career development program for refugee, immigrant, and first-generation teens and young adults.

The Peer Facilitators are a group of young women who have graduated from the My Health Future program. This 25-hour program gives teens and young adults a paid opportunity to explore careers in health care. Sessions are led by staff with Peer Facilitators, and include panels of community members who work in the health care professions. The young people learn about the basics of mental health first aid, healthcare navigation, trauma and recovery, and strategies for self-care and burnout prevention.

“Our vision for My Health Future 2.0 is to focus on careers in mental health care, and on general wellness,” says Monica. “With the peer-to-peer program and My Health Future, we’re hoping that the young people begin to see the Village Institute as a home away from home, a place where they can come together for safety and support.”