Denea Joseph
Entrepreneur
"I, for one, stand in my power as a Black, undocumented woman. The epitome and antithesis of what they want us to be in these United States of America."
Wellness Support Groups for People Pursuing Legalization
Join Immigrants Rising’s Wellness Support Groups to stay grounded and connected with your community while you explore new immigration options.
Are you a DACA recipient in the San Francisco Bay Area pursuing permanent legal status? We understand that this journey can often be isolating. It can also stir up a mix of emotions – curiosity and excitement about the possibilities, frustration with the process, and anxiety about what lies ahead. With the vulnerability of the DACA program and the upcoming presidential election, you might be feeling the weight of these uncertainties.
That’s why we’re here. Immigrants Rising is offering a series of 6-week Wellness Support Groups designed for DACA recipients like you who are pursuing permanent legal status. Led by trained mental health providers with shared lived experience, these groups are safe and supportive spaces to help you stay grounded and connected.
Note: Though participation can be therapeutic, the groups are not a form of therapy.
New Groups for DACA Recipients Seeking Permanent Legal Status (Starting in October 2024)
We will be offering the following groups for DACA recipients like you who are pursuing:
- Family-based options
- Employment-based options
- Humanitarian options
- Advance Parole, as a step toward pursuing permanent legal status
Is This Group for You?
If you’re wondering whether our Wellness Support Groups are the right fit, here is what you need to know. These groups are right for you if:
- You are eligible for DACA (you currently have DACA or you meet the eligibility requirements but USCIS is unable to approve your application).
- You have a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo counties). We define having a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area as residing; being raised; going to school; and/or are being employed by a company in the region.
- You are 18 or older.
- You have an option for more permanent legal status, including a green card through work or marriage, H-1B, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), asylum, U-Visa, or Advance Parole as a way to open up more permanent immigration options.
Even if you’re unsure or haven’t decided whether to take the next step in your legalization process, this group is a supportive space to explore your options. You don’t have to have it all figured out – just come as you are.
Are You Interested in Joining One of These Groups?
Fill out our Interest Form by Wednesday, September 4 and we will contact you as soon as the groups go live.
Meet the Facilitators
Our facilitators are licensed mental health professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and empathy to their roles. Having personal experience as undocumented individuals, they understand the challenges of not having legal status. Some have navigated the process of adjusting their own status, enabling them to offer both professional insight and personal understanding of the mental health aspects of this journey.
Mayra Almanza, LMFT (she/her) is a formerly undocumented Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist living in Southern California. She has worked in the non-profit mental health sector for over 10 years in various roles ranging from administrative coordination to clinical work and supervision. Her lived experiences guide the way she engages clients in therapy. Mayra’s commitment to providing mental health services that are equitable, accessible, and affordable led to the creation of her business, Contigo Counseling Inc., which is focused on serving the undocumented community.
Muriel Casamayor, LMFT (she/her) is a Latina therapist in California. She specializes in serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) living with depression, anxiety and trauma. Muriel understands the journey of immigrating to another country and rewriting your own narrative. Her practice is located in Riverside and Tustin, but she provides telehealth services throughout California.
Jose Perez, LMFT (he/him) is a DACAmented Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jose has the privilege of running the mental health department at Samaritan House San Mateo where he helps increase access to mental health for uninsured immigrants. Additionally, Jose has a private practice specializing in immigrant mental health and treating trauma, depression, anxiety, and acculturation difficulties. Jose aims to provide a collaborative approach to care utilizing strength-based approaches to help clients reach self-actualization, resilience, and healing. In his spare time, Jose is finishing his PsyD in clinical psychology and enjoys hiking and trying new foods and eateries.
Huyen “Kiki” Vo, LCSW, (she/her) is a DACAmented Vietnamese immigrant, a licensed psychotherapist, and a mental health clinician at Stanford Medicine, Children’s Health. She has the privilege of providing services to children, adolescents, individuals, and families from diverse backgrounds (e.g. low-income, AAPI, mixed status, undocumented, BIPOC, LGBTQ, etc.) throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. She values a holistic and collaborative approach to care, utilizing a trauma-informed cultural humility and strength-based lens to promote clients’ self-determination, potential, and resilience. She honors each client’s unique history, cultural background, personality, and lived experience, and meets them where they are in their respective self-discovery/healing journey.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions, please check out our Participant FAQ. If your question is not answered there, please contact our Mental Health Senior Manager, Mayra Barragan-O’Brien, at mbarraganobrien@immigrantsrising.org.