WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2024
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. PT
Session 4 of 4 in the "Rooting Young Adult Mental Health Services in Culturally Sustaining Values & Practices" Series (view series main page for full details)
This session’s essential question is: How might organizations truly value, uplift, and support the wisdom and skill of those with lived experience? Join us as we explore peer support in healing-centered engagement.
The learning objectives include:
All community-based organizations, institutions, and mental health professionals, including peer support specialists, therapists, psychologists, counselors, and others who support the mental health and wellness of transition-aged youth.
Oriana Ides, MA, APCC, PPS (she/hers)
Oriana Ides is a School Mental Health Training Specialist at CARS (the Center for Applied Research Solutions) and approaches healing the wounds of trauma and oppression as core elements of social justice. She has worked with young people across the life course from elementary school to college, and has served as teacher-leader, school counselor, classroom educator and program director. She is committed to generating equity within school structures and policies by focusing on evidence-based mental health techniques and institutional design.
Falilah “Aisha” Bilal (she/her)
Falilah “Aisha” Bilal has worked joyously for over 30 years creating innovative, relevant evidence-based strategies to transform, empower and develop individuals, systems, organizations and contemporary thought.
Ms. Bilal’s work is centered in healing practices, empowering youth and families, and self-discovery. Ms. Bilal specializes in the field of youth development, healing informed organizational development, and strategic fundraising consultation. Currently Ms. Bilal serves as the Chief of Staff for the Black Organizing Project as well as directs her own consulting company where she provides trainings, curriculum development, healing experiences, coaching, and executive leadership to local and national agencies, companies and programs. Previously, Ms. Bilal served as a Senior Trainer with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute and a Radical Healer with Flourish Agenda. She served as the Executive Director for M.I.S.S.S.E.Y. raising over 2 million dollars in funds to support sexually exploited children and young adults. She has worked for numerous Bay Area agencies including World Trust, Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, Oakland Bay Area CARES Mentoring Movement, GirlSource, Office of Family, Children and Youth, City of Oakland, and the Young Women’s Freedom Center.
Ms. Bilal holds a M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a B.A. in Theater Arts and Child Psychology from San Francisco State University.
Nola Brantley (she/her)
Nola Brantley, the Founder & CEO of Nola Brantley Speaks, stands as a beacon in the fight against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) in California since 2004. Her journey, intertwined with the struggles of sex trafficking victims, fuels her unwavering advocacy for historically oppressed and marginalized children. Nola's deep-rooted understanding of trauma, shaped by her own experiences of poverty, abuse, foster care, and authority misuse, positions her as a powerful voice in the national discourse on child sex trafficking. Through compelling public speaking engagements, Nola has earned acclaim for her steadfast commitment to combatting child sex trafficking. Her personal narrative illuminates the intricate web of challenges faced by CSEC victims, shedding light on the systemic issues that perpetuate their vulnerability in society. Nola's advocacy serves as a catalyst for change, amplifying the voices of youth who have long been silenced and overlooked.
As a revered subject matter expert in the realm of child sex trafficking, Nola channels her expertise as a master-trainer at Nola Brantley Speaks, impacting over 350,000 professionals and community members worldwide. Her groundbreaking aftercare methods for survivors of abuse offer a path to healing and restoration, instilling hope in those grappling with trauma. Nola's tireless dedication to raising awareness and providing holistic support for victims of
CSEC embodies a commitment to fostering resilience and empowerment in the face of adversity. Her work continues to drive meaningful progress in the fight against child sex trafficking, advocating for a future where all children are safeguarded and valued.
Xochtil Larios (she/her)
Xochtil Larios is the Youth Justice Coordinator at Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), where she cut her teeth in community organizing, youth leadership, and activism as a program participant while incarcerated in juvenile hall. At CURYJ, Xochtil brought her innovative Youth Transformation Curriculum to detained youth and led participatory research, culminating in the 2019 report “Dream Beyond Bars: A Youth Vision for Alameda County’s Juvenile Justice System.” Xochtil received her Associate in Social Science from Laney College, where she was honored as a Chicana graduate of Restoring Our Communities and Raíces student networks. She is a 2018 recipient of the California Endowment Community Champion Youth Award. She also serves as a Youth Commissioner on the Alameda County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission, ensuring youth voices are heard in policymaking. Xochtil works in the trenches of grassroots mobilizing and relentlessly advocates for youth representation.
