How one young Utahn is helping youth who have experienced homelessness improve their mental health [Video]

This is part of a series of interviews with young Utahns making a meaningful impact on their communities’ — and their own — mental health. Read more.

Since 2019, AJ Perez has worked with Salt Lake County Youth Services on the Youth Action Board. She started with the Salt Lake County Youth Services Milestone Transitional Living Program, which connects young Utahns experiencing homelessness with safe housing, stable employment and connections to ongoing support and resources — including therapy — and now works as the social work liaison for the Salt Lake County Youth Action Board.

She recently earned her master’s degree in social work and says her experience working with young Utahns has helped her be more “open-minded” when dealing with tough topics — like mental health.

“We get emotional and passionate when we’re in these Youth Action Board meetings,” she told me in a recent interview. “I try to see everybody’s perspective, see where everybody’s …