From left, New Mexico Sen. Leo Jaramillo congratulates Española teens and Future Focused X3 interns Keila Aguirre and Amberylnn Jaramillo on successfully completing their internship at the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) Friday. Jaramillo has been a big supporter of the NLBHA program and connected to the interns as a mentor. Courtesy/NLBHA

BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

ESPAÑOLA – Young people seem to face an uphill battle. Older generations frequently give teenagers a bad rap while simultaneously placing the responsibility to produce social improvements on their shoulders. It would be enough to make anyone, at any age, quake under the pressure. But not Española teens Keila Aguirre and Amberlynn Jaramillo.

Under the mentorship and guidance of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA), which is partnering with the Future Focused X3 internship, Aguirre, a sophomore at Espanola Valley High School, and Jaramillo, a sophomore at McCurdy Charter School, have made real, positive improvements in their community.

The internship started in January and while this is Aguirre’s first internship with the NLBHA, Jaramillo experienced her first internship at age 15. Both students plan to apply for the association’s summer internship program, which starts in June.

During the internship, Aguiree and Jaramillo worked specifically on the association’s Connecting Our Voices workgroup, part of the National Latino Behavioral Health Association’s Strategic Prevention Framework program.

The program teams up with organizations in northern Santa Fe and southern Rio Arriba counties to address strategic substance abuse prevention. Connecting Our Voices Program is funded by a five-year grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration Strategic Framework-Partnerships for Success Initiative.

Aguirre explained they would attend different events and provide resources and information to parents, victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault about how to get out of these situations as well as how to move forward.

Furthermore, they turned to print, radio, social media and other platforms to build their skills, leadership and community engagement. NLBHA Program Prevention Specialist Cynthia Lentini, who mentored the interns along with X3 Coach Julia Bergkamp, added that they also took their work to the state legislature. She said they met and interviewed Sen. Jaramillo as well as Housing and Homelessness Advisor Amy Whitfield. Plus, Lentini said the teens met with representatives from U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s office and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez’s office.

The purpose behind having this internship, Lentini explained, is to expose teens to different careers in the field of behavioral health.

“We are really hoping our interns will gravitate toward the intention of pursuing a behavioral health career,” she said. “…What we are hoping to do is get this interest sparked in high school.”

Aguirre said she applied for the internship for this very reason.

“I’ve always been interested in behavioral health careers or anything within that area of a career,” she said. “I’ve seen the impact (and) it’s given me more of a nudge to go into that career.”

One of her proudest moments during the internship was taking part in the effort to retain the La Vista Apartment Complex. Aguirre said they attended an event at the affordable housing complex that featured a book drive, clothing drive and picnic. The apartment complex was scheduled to be closed and the event’s purpose was to reverse that decision.

As a result of their efforts, Aguirre said the complex remains open for low-income families.

“…because the community came together and advocated for families, we were able to keep those apartments open … it was an eye-opening experience because I know it actually changed some people’s lives,” she said.

Another highlight for her was meeting the different state representatives.

Jaramillo pursued the internship for similar reasons. She explained she wanted to help those in need.

“I chose this internship so I could get my story out, and let people know that they aren’t alone in this journey they are taking (to) learn about substance abuse and mental health,” she said.

A highlight for her was gaining new skills such as communication and teamwork as well as gaining more education.

Seeing both teens blossom in the program is very inspiring, Lentini said.

“I’m really proud of them and I encourage them to use their voices because they have come to realize how valuable their voices are in the community,” she said.

It’s an experience Aguirre and Jaramillo encourage their peers to have.

Aguirre said it will get teens “out of their bubble” and improve their communication skills. Plus, the internship is a chance to give back to people.

“You are able to give back to people who need it … because they don’t have as much as you do,” she said.

“I would encourage people to join this internship because, one, you learn so much about mental health and substance abuse, two, you gain so much from the things we do from meeting new people, going out and helping, etc.,” Jaramillo added.

The internship is a paid one. The Spring 2023 X3 Internship lasted 14 weeks and students worked 12 or more hours a week. They were paid $15 an hour.

Lentini said the summer internship will be more intensive. Students will work up to 25 hours a week and will be compensated with a $16 an hour stipend.

She added the internships are paid to invest in the students’ career development.

While the pandemic initially impacted the X3 programs’ ability to continue growing “standard internships” with local employers, it offered an opportunity to innovate and develop group internships. Group internships have not only served as a way to build foundational employability skills, but it has also acted as a convening space where young people want to engage in leadership, organizing and advocacy to improve educational and community conditions for young people in the state.

This, Moore said, “provides some structure and … really have young people at the center, really contributing in meaningful ways.”

Part of the reason why Future Focused was interested in partnering with NLBHA was its Connecting Our Voices Program, which partners with youth to grow a youth advisory council so that community initiatives for youth are informed and lead by youth, Moore said.

“It is truly an asset-based, partnership that builds on each other’s strengths,” she said. “…we are truly working side by side, co-designing with young people.”

Moore commended Lentini as well as Bergkamp for their work. She also praised Aguirre and Jaramillo for their dedication, “heart work” and commitment to their community, peers and personal growth.

She said the X3 interns have a lot of passion and pride for Espanola and want to make a difference. The Espanola Valley has struggled but there is power and strength in the community to find and implement solutions, Moore said.

About NLBHA

NLBHA was established to fill a need for a unified national voice for Latino populations in the behavioral health arena and to bring attention to the great disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice-based research and adequately trained personnel.

About Future Focused’s X3 Internship

Director of Social Emotional Learning and Well-being Ali Moore said the X3 internship started in 2017 but this is the first year it partnered with NLBHA. She explained that Future Focused Education offers both group internships and “standard internship,” which involves a local employer partner hosting an intern and investing in the internship experience.

Future Focused X3 interns Keila Aguirre, left, and Amberlynn Jaramillo present their work with NLBHA’s Connecting Our Voices Program. Courtesy/NLBHA