Summary

The Power to Heal tells the story of how parents in Kane County, Illinois, organized to fill critical gaps in mental health care, and how, by aligning with public health leaders, they are transforming systems statewide. What began as parent-to-parent conversations during the COVID-19 pandemic became a powerful inside-outside collaboration between Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI) and the Kane County Health Department. Together, they are creating new pathways for peer mental health support, shifting public policy, and building community-rooted solutions.

Through more than 1,000 interviews, COFI parent leaders documented the emotional toll of the pandemic and systemic barriers to care, especially for immigrant families facing language access issues, stigma, and often-justified fear of government. Parents identified the problems, and imagined solutions: safe spaces to talk about mental health, peer-led support groups, and culturally responsive services led by those who have experienced trauma firsthand.

With support from HIP's Power-building Partnerships for Health initiative, COFI and the health department forged a strong alliance rooted in shared values and strategic collaboration. Health officials helped secure funding to launch a Parent Advisory Council and a dedicated Parent Power Center. These spaces became the foundation for piloting peer-to-peer support groups, training new leaders, and advancing a broader vision for community healing.

As their local model gained momentum, COFI and POWER-PAC IL, a statewide network of parent leaders trained through COFI, mobilized to pursue statewide policy change. From Medicaid coverage and peer certification to transportation access and funding for arts and recreation, parent leaders are shaping policy to support well-being at every level. Their work is a clear reminder that communities, when resourced, empowered, and organized together, are a force for lasting change.

Building on their success in Kane County, the COFI and health department partners have an ambitious dream: that every city in Illinois will have its own Parent Power Center, offering a variety of peer-to-peer support. The parent leaders are ready, recruiting and training the next generation to follow them.

The Power to Heal shows how community power and public health can align to address trauma, promote healing, and change systems. And it all begins, as parent leader Liliana Olayo reminds us, with showing up for each other: “I got you, because ten years back, I was you.”

Watch this video of an interview with the organizers to learn more.