Mila Cerise

Mila (she/her) is a proud transgender woman and Certified Peer Specialist with over 3 years of direct support experience. She believes that by leading with authenticity, she can inspire peers to do the same. Mila supports peers using her lived experience with tapping into their strengths, building social confidence and becoming powerful self-advocates in their own recovery. 

Mila helped co-create and develop the Wings Team (a collaboration between Chrysalis and FLYY) that provides wraparound services to youth experiencing their first episode of psychosis. She is passionate about collaborating on teams to make sure that peers can access a wide variety support services to reach their recovery goals. She sees the power in meeting peers where they're at & encouraging self-determination in services that best meet their mental health/substance use recovery goals.

Mila was drawn to peer support by her curiosity in others, their life stories and creating community. She hopes that by sharing her lived experience with peers, she can create a space where they feel confident in expressing their feelings, hopes and dreams. She believes that connection and compassion are crucial components of building a world where people can feel safe being their authentic selves.