Featured Youth
Behind every conversation, every training, and every shift in perspective are real people with real experiences.
This section highlights stories, reflections, and voices from young people connected to Open Doors — whether through our Youth Council, the Facilitator-in-Training Program, or the broader community.
Centering Youth Voice at the 2026 “Stronger Together” Conference
Written by Crystal Blanton, Open Doors Deputy Director This year’s Stronger Together Conference, organized by the California Alliance of Child & Family Services, brought providers from across the state and beyond to Anaheim to connect, learn, and explore the many issues that impact how we serve children, youth, and families. The Open Doors team had…
From Youth Voice to Youth Facilitation: Inside Our Facilitator-in-Training Program
Written by: Kat Besse, Open Doors Facilitator As part of our Facilitator-in-Training (FiT) program, all FiTs have the opportunity to participate in the Open Doors Core Training, which is designed to equip non-medical youth-serving adults with practical tools for engaging young people in honest conversations about substance use and other behavioral health challenges — with an…
Youth Voice: Grace Wolfman’s Perspective as a Facilitator-in-Training
Facilitator-in-Training Grace Wolfman reflects on bringing youth voice to the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Conference and shares how restorative justice, support, and meaningful mentorship helped her grow as a young facilitator.
Youth Voice: Eve Valdez
Open Doors Youth Council member Eve Valdez shares how her lived experience shapes her approach to healing, advocacy, and supporting young people.
More Than a Mandate: How Youth Voice Shaped the Open Doors Curriculum
When the Open Doors training curriculum was first taking shape, the team faced a foundational question: Who belongs at the table? For Tia Cochran-Otis, Curriculum Development Lead, the answer was immediate: young people.
Youth Voice: Meet Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez
Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez (they/she) is a member of the Open Doors Youth Council, and that’s only one part of who they are. They’re an herbalist, a student, a youth organizer, an older sibling, and someone on their healing journey.
Youth Voice: A Conversation with Axel Pecero
This past August, Open Doors Youth Council member Axel Pecero was detained by ICE while attending an Open Doors training and youth council meeting in Burbank, California.
Today, he is still forcibly held in an ICE facility while awaiting a decision from the judge on his fate.