When Adler University student Farrah Beidas was asked to join the city’s New Americans Advisory Council (NAAC), which advises Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights (IMRR), she was hesitant.
At first, Beidas — a third-year Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology student in Chicago — didn’t feel she would be right for the role.
“I’m just a student. What could I possibly do?” she said. “But I quickly changed my mind. Even though I knew I would feel like a fish out of water in the beginning, I ultimately said, ‘Why the heck not?’ Let me use my voice and my background in mental health in this role.”
Beidas’ appointment began in June and will last through February 2027. While she isn’t earning course credits for her role, Beidas said it’s an opportunity to utilize her newfound knowledge and expertise in mental health to benefit newly arrived immigrants and refugees in the city.
The IMRR and NAAC are dedicated to improving services and engaging Chicago’s diverse immigrant and refugee communities through enhanced collaboration with community organizations, academic institutions, and the private sector. These services range from housing and job opportunities to health care and language translation programs.
“With only a few months under my belt, I can say that every member of the council has a genuine objective of helping every new arrival with the resettlement process,” said Beidas. “It’s been such an eye-opening experience, and I’m learning so much.”
Members of the Chicago’s New Americans Advisory Council meet in July at City Hall. Its next meeting will be held Nov. 20 at Trellus Learning Center.
‘We are with you’
A proud Arab American, Beidas said she knows all too well the challenges of new immigrants simply from the stories her family has shared about their experiences when first arriving in the U.S.
“Most refugees, asylum seekers, and newly arrived immigrants are understandably most worried about immediate needs, such as safety and providing for their families,” she said. “Mental health almost becomes secondary or tertiary. And, of course, in many cultures, mental health can be a taboo topic. I hope to change that.”
Beidas’ appointment came after taking Social Determinants of Mental Health, a course that helps students understand how contemporary social forces impact health and well-being. Taught by Assistant Professor Moshood Olanrewaju, Ph.D., students are asked to create a hypothetical intervention program that can be applied to certain communities or populations in Chicago.
Beidas’ idea was to create a program that provides services, including mental health care, to newly arrived immigrants and refugees, particularly those from the Middle East. This program would include group therapy for men and women, access to family resources, and connecting clients to case managers and social workers. She even had a name for the program, “Nahn maeak,” which in English means “We are with you.”
Earlier this spring, Dr. Olanrewaju was asked to join the mayor’s advisory council but declined due to other commitments. He decided to forward the opportunity to Beidas.
“It is not every day you meet a clinical graduate student who understands Middle Eastern refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and their pre- and post-settlement traumas and challenges,” said Dr. Olanrewaju, who now serves as Beidas’ dissertation chair. “Chicago needs changemakers who understand this population, and Farrah does. It was a perfect matchmaking for me.”
Connecting people with services they need
The advisory council held its first bi-monthly meeting in July at City Hall and its September meeting via Zoom. The next meeting will be held Nov. 20 from 6-7 p.m. at Trellus Learning Center, a social service organization that supports immigrants and refugees as they build their lives in Chicago. The meetings are open to the public.
“The council acts as a liaison between the city and these organizations advocating for immigrants and refugees,” Beidas said, adding that its goals are to improve the services and connect immigrants and refugees to these services.
“We’re like a bridge between these organizations and the city’s newly arrived residents.”
Despite her busy schedule as a full-time doctoral student in the middle of the dissertation process, Beidas said she doesn’t regret taking on the additional responsibilities in the council — and encourages other students to pursue taking on similar voluntary civic roles and opportunities.
“Like me, you’ll learn so much about public policy, the people behind the nonprofits who are doing heavy lifting, and the challenges and limits of local government. I also believe this experience has helped me become a better professional and clinician,” Beidas said. “Beyond that, I think it goes back to Alfred Adler’s values of community and social interest. We can positively change our communities by building up others.”