Open Doors Youth Council

The Open Doors Youth Council is a group of young people (ages 16-26) whose voices help shape the direction, content, and impact of this work.

Council members bring lived experience, creativity, and insight into how adults can better support youth, especially in conversations around substance use, behavioral health, and well-being.

What the Youth Council Does

Shapes the Curriculum

Youth Council members co-design training materials, provide feedback, and help ensure the content reflects real experiences and real needs. Their insights strengthen the Open Doors curriculum's relevance and honesty.

Supports Outreach and Awareness

Youth Council members act as ambassadors for Open Doors. They share information, connect with organizations, and help expand access to the training across communities.

Contributes to Communications

From blog posts to social media content, Youth Council members help shape how we talk about this work. They bring authenticity, clarity, and perspectives that resonate with other young people.

Council members may also help expand Open Doors' reach by sharing messages, opportunities, and resources within their own communities and networks (both online and in person). Their voices help connect the project to audiences and spaces that traditional outreach alone may not reach.

Helps Grow the Network

Members support recruitment efforts by identifying individuals and organizations who could benefit from Open Doors, expanding the program's reach and diversity.

What Participation Looks Like

Youth Council members commit to showing up, sharing their perspectives, and engaging in ongoing collaboration. Members receive a monthly honorarium in recognition of their time, expertise, and contributions.

Monthly virtual meetings
Active participation and discussion
Ongoing communication and collaboration
Opportunities to contribute beyond meetings (content, outreach, feedback)

Why It Matters

Open Doors exists to support youth… but it can only do that effectively if youth are part of building and sustaining it.

The Youth Council ensures that this work stays grounded, accountable, and responsive to the realities that young people navigate every day.

Meet the Youth Council

Adriana S.(she/her)

COMING SOON

Alex G. (she/her)

Alex is a Long Beach native and a youth advocate working to expand access to opportunity, equity, and economic mobility for young people. Grounded in lived experience, Alex is dedicated to making systems work better for the communities they serve.

Chaitanya V.(she/her)

Chaitanya is a college student from the Bay Area working at the intersection of mental health, culture, and storytelling.

She is drawn to the ways identity and cultural expression shape our understanding of healing and healthcare. As a member of the South Asian community, she has seen how stigma and silence don’t just limit conversations, but also shape who gets to heal, and how. Chaitanya is committed to challenging that through education and art.

She joined the Youth Council to advocate for systems that center young people’s lived experiences. In her free time, Chaitanya creates short films about neurodiverse human experiences (IG: @chote.tukade), and is usually walking, singing, or collecting jhumkis.

Coatlupe "Lupita" M. (they/she)

Coatlupe is a blooming visionary student leader with eight years of experience cultivating, healing, and providing community care. Through social justice work and herbalism (with a focus on supporting youth impacted by mental health and addiction), they have a deep understanding of the importance of radical and safe mental health care and trauma-informed support as a form of liberation.

Desi R. (she/her)

Desi is a passionate mental health advocate who focuses on supporting at-risk youth and underserved communities. Her work centers on identifying systemic barriers and contributing to research that informs more effective, trauma-informed care.

With both academic training and lived experience, Desi hopes to bring a grounded and empathetic perspective to her community, emphasizing prevention, emotional development, and long-term stability for youth navigating high-risk environments. Her approach is rooted in accountability, resilience, and breaking generational cycles through evidence-based and community-centered solutions while building ourselves up for success.

Eve V. (she/her)

Eve is a passionate advocate, policy leader, and community builder dedicated to empowering foster youth and underserved communities. With firsthand experience in the foster care system, Eve has turned her lived experience into action, driving policy changes, developing economic opportunities, and creating impactful programs that uplift marginalized voices.

Currently, Eve serves as the SMC Co-Chair for the California Youth Connection (CYC), where she plays a pivotal role in shaping youth-centered advocacy efforts, ensuring that young people have a voice in policies that directly impact their lives.

She is also a Policy Consultant for the National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI), where she helps develop policy initiatives and strategic advocacy campaigns.

Kassandra P. (she/her)

Kassy is a Bay Area-based youth mental health advocate, community college senior, and member of the Open Doors Youth Advisory Board. With over a decade of lived experience navigating mental health services, she brings a firsthand perspective to advancing equitable access to care.

Kassy has presented at multiple conferences and mentors young people, focusing on increasing youth voice and expanding access to mental health and substance use resources for those under 30. She is also pursuing certification as a Wellness Coach. Kassy believes recovery and growth are possible for everyone.

Outside of advocacy, she enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her partner and their cats.

Mercedes J. (she/her)

Mercedes is a youth advocate, speaker, and community leader who cares deeply about how young people are supported, heard, and understood. Her background includes direct work with youth through mentoring, group facilitation, case management, and advocacy across community and policy spaces.

She brings a grounded, relationship-based approach to working with young people and believes lived experience, trust, and authentic connection matter in creating meaningful change. Through her work, Mercedes is committed to helping youth feel valued, empowered, and connected to the resources and support they need.

Vincent L. (he/him)