Cris Mercado
Entrepreneur, Program Participant
"For undocumented people, it's rare to find either a person or an institution that validates your experiences and your achievements."
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. These groups are not legal information workshops or legal consultations. Rather, they are safe and supportive spaces, led by trained mental health providers with shared lived experiences, to help you stay grounded and connected.
Note: Though participation can be therapeutic, the groups are not a form of therapy.
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:
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.
Please check out our Participant FAQ for more details.
This group is specifically intended for Bay Area DACA recipients interested in or already pursuing a family-based option and/or advance parole as a step toward pursuing permanent legal status. This group is not a workshop or intended to replace legal consultations. It is a processing space led by a trained mental health provider with shared lived experiences. This group is a safe and supportive space to help you stay grounded and connected.
This group is specifically intended for Bay Area DACA recipients interested in or already pursuing an employment-based immigration option. This group is not a workshop or intended to replace legal consultations. It is a processing space led by a trained mental health provider with shared lived experiences. This group is a safe and supportive space to help you stay grounded and connected.
Registrations have not yet opened for this group. Please check back later.
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.
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.