Hayden Hutson-Wiley - FACES For The Future Coalition San Francisco

Hayden Hutson-Wiley is an AmeriCorps VISTA program associate serving with the San Francisco FACES for the Future program. Hayden grew up in San Francisco and knew she wanted to return after college to support programs making an impact on the health and lives of San Franciscans. Hayden joined the CHLI AmeriCorps VISTA Hub in August of 2025 and was particularly motivated to join the team at FACES because of a direct interest in medicine and healthcare. 

Early in Hayden’s term, she had the opportunity to participate in a Mental Health First Aid training hosted by the CHLI AmeriCorps VISTA Hub and Cypress Resilience Institute and became a certified “Mental Health First Aider.” Through this training, Hayden strengthened their active listening skills and learned practical skills to support those struggling with their mental health. While these skills are important for everyone working in public health, Hayden shared that she was also able to apply her learning to support a personal friend: 

“I have had a friend for some years now who struggles with her mental health. I’ve always done my best to support her as a friend, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually started suggesting more strongly that she seek professional help. The skills I learned in the training helped me feel more comfortable asking direct questions about her mental health, and helped me offer additional supportive resources like the national crisis hotline and her universities' free counseling services. From the steps, I listened up, looked for warning signs, asked directly how she was, and connected her with an adult.” 

Hayden’s expertise in Mental Health First Aid continued to develop through her term of service. As an AmeriCorps VISTA program associate at FACES San Francisco, she supports the implementation of Teen Mental Health First Aid Training for students at Mission High School. This work has amplified Hayden’s impact and resulted in the training of 22 Mental Health First Aiders. 

As Hayden’s term of service wraps up, Hayden is looking ahead and has been admitted to medical school at New York Medical College where she will continue to support community health initiatives.