Advancing National Conversations: Aimee Hilado, PhD, research entered into the Smithsonian Institute Archives
By Crown Family School
A new collection featured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History highlights the work of Chicago-based mental health professionals who came together to support newly arriving immigrant and refugee families during a period of unprecedented migration. Among the leaders represented is Aimee Hilado, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, as part of Chicago's New Arrivals Mission.
The objects in the collection reflect the collaborative response that emerged in Chicago as tens of thousands of newcomers arrived between 2022 and 2024. Guided by a public health task-shifting model, Dr. Hilado and co-lead Rebecca Ford-Paz, PhD, worked with the Coalition, Lurie Children’s Hospital, and the Crown Family School to design “Reimagining Mental Health Supports for Migrant Arrivals.” This two-part intervention trained Spanish-speaking, nonclinical front-line workers to provide trauma-informed support, crisis prevention strategies, and community-building “Café y Comunidad charlas” across temporary emergency shelters.
More than 878 frontline workers completed the training, which has since been adapted into online courses offered in English and Spanish. The curriculum continues to be disseminated through the Coalition to support communities experiencing displacement, stress, and trauma.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently added materials from the Reimagining Mental Health Supports for Migrant Arrivals project to its national collections. The collection includes objects such as fidget toys, training materials, and posters that will be housed in the museum’s philanthropy collection. The collection is open to researchers, and the museum’s exhibition, “Giving in America,” is regularly updated to reflect new acquisitions and stories.
The project is through the UChicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, Lurie Children's Hospital, and the Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health.
The collection honors the innovation, compassion, and cultural responsiveness behind Chicago’s mental health response. It highlights the Crown Family School’s role in shaping practices that promote wellbeing, dignity, and resilience among migrant families.