Kayla Coetzer

Kayla Coetzer is a member of the Global Youth Advisory Council (GYAC), at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute. Coetzer collaborates with her peers to contribute towards the advancement of youth engagement across the country.

Beyond her youth work, she volunteers as a lay counselor with LifeLine Western Cape. She is also an Arts and Crafts group facilitator at one of the forensic wards at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital. Additionally, she holds a student volunteer position with HospiVision. In this role, she provides pastoral/spiritual care to patients at Tygerberg Hospital and serves as a group facilitator in one of the psychosis wards at Stikland Psychiatric Hospital.

Coetzer is passionate about mental health and the integration of mental health advocacy into vulnerable populations, such as youth and individuals in psychiatric care settings. She is an avid supporter of the destigmatization of mental health and the work to contextualize mental health practices within South Africa. Her queer identity further informs her appreciation for authenticity, belonging, and the importance of being seen as a whole person.