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 emphasis on harm reduction, restorative justice, cultural humility, and youth autonomy.

The FiT program is an 18-month, paid opportunity for young people ages 18–25 to build the skills, confidence, and experience needed to eventually co-facilitate Open Doors trainings. It also creates a pathway for young people to bring their voices, perspectives, and lived experiences directly into spaces where adults are learning how to better support youth.

Experiencing the training as a participant helps FiTs become familiar with the content, see different facilitation styles in action, and connect with one another in person.

Earlier this month, we were lucky enough to host eleven FiTs and two Youth Council members in Sacramento for a two-day retreat that included the full eight-hour core training curriculum, group meals, and a debrief of their experience.

Coming Together in Sacramento

While the lead-up required a lot of travel logistics and last-minute questions (special thanks to our Project Managers for their help!), the outcome was well worth the work.

The Open Doors team for this event consisted of myself and my colleagues, Alina, Doris, and Grace. It was MSW Intern Doris’ first time co-facilitating the full curriculum (rather than just a section), and Grace served as our Senior FiT throughout the experience.

Our team was incredibly impressed not just by the young people’s commitment to the material, but by their willingness to share their lived experiences, connect with their peers, and engage in meaningful ways.

Our FiTs and YC members represent a wide spectrum of ages, experiences, and areas of expertise. While those differences can sometimes create divides, what we saw instead was respect and curiosity flowing throughout the group over the two days.

Reflecting on the Training Experience

In addition to the training day, FiTs and Youth Council members had the option to attend a second day of debrief. The debrief gave everyone a chance to talk about how the content landed for them, what stood out, and how they could see themselves stepping into the role of facilitator.

As lead facilitators, we were especially happy to hear that several aspects of our curriculum and Open Doors culture that we take pride in also stood out to the young people.

This included our world-famous Open Doors-themed puns, such as “This skill will open the door to better conversations with youth.” Grace is a master of these jokes, and we’ve seen how they can create light-hearted energy even when we’re discussing difficult topics.

The youth also mentioned the openness and authenticity of the facilitators, including the explanations of our training shirts at the beginning of the day and the personal examples shared throughout. We also heard that hands-on activities, including roleplays and small-group discussions, were important to keeping them engaged.

Imagining Themselves as Facilitators

We also asked FiTs what they might change if they had been facilitating. This group had a lot of opinions… and they did not hold back!

We heard that they want to bring more of their lived experience and expertise into the training, particularly on topics such as substance use, neurodivergence, and disability rights. They want to practice reading the room and leading participants through energizers and self-regulation activities when needed.

They also wanted to talk more about how to invite quieter participants into the conversation and what else we can do to create a space where people feel safe participating.

Making the Material Their Own

What was amazing about the openness of their feedback was seeing real ownership of the material begin to take shape.

Entering a space and facilitating material that you did not have a hand in creating can be difficult. But what we saw was a willingness to adopt the content as their own and bring in their personal stories, perspectives, and experiences to make the material feel authentic to them.

That is exactly the kind of growth we hope to see as FiTs move from participating in the training to eventually facilitating it themselves.

Growing the Next Generation of Open Doors Facilitators

I am incredibly proud of the work our team has done to grow the FiT program and continue making young people feel welcome and included in Open Doors. I am also continually impressed by the wisdom, vulnerability, and desire to connect that these young people bring into the space.

We’re already seeing so much growth in this amazing group, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to make the training — and the program — their own as they become more confident in their roles as facilitators.