Building mental health support undocumented students will trust

This page is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Do Not Lose Hope does not provide counseling or crisis help.

Why don't undocumented students use the help that exists?

The need is real. The 2026 report Building Trust, by Laura E. Enriquez, Martha Morales Hernandez and R.J. Ronquillo for Immigrants Rising, cites a 2020 survey in which 72% of undocumented undergraduates in California needed counseling in the past year, but only 48% had ever sought support. The authors found that gap remains even when services are free and insurance is not an issue. The main barrier is distrust (Building Trust).

Students worry about who will see their information, whether a counselor will understand their situation, and whether talking will even help with problems rooted in immigration law.

The report is based on July to December 2025 interviews and focus groups with 33 undocumented students, 14 mental health providers and 10 undocumented student services staff. It draws on Immigrants Rising's programs, which served more than 1,000 undocumented young adults between 2019 and 2026.

What are the three kinds of trust?

The report describes three kinds of trust that work together:

1. Institutional trust. Students must first believe the organization offering help is safe, credible and truly on their side. Without this, they will not show up at all.
2. Cultural competency. A counselor who shares or understands the student's culture, language or background. This kind of knowledge stays fairly stable.
3. Immigration related competency. A counselor who understands immigration policy, legal risk and daily life without status. This must be renewed constantly, because policy keeps changing.

Students in the study reported better social connection, better understanding of their emotions, better stress control and stronger coping skills. They also reported better grades, focus and persistence in school.

How do we build institutional trust?

Students in the study trusted Immigrants Rising because of its reputation, because services were confidential and free, and because groups were only for undocumented people.

On your campus or in your organization:

• Go where trust already exists. Students often trust undocumented student services staff more than any other office. The report recommends placing counseling in or near those spaces and having counselors come to students.
• Say plainly what you will and will not collect. In California K-12 schools, staff may not collect immigration status information except as required by law (Education Code 234.7). Colleges should be just as clear in their own policies.
• Make it free and easy. No insurance forms at the door. No long waitlists for a first conversation.
• Offer identity specific groups. A group only for undocumented students can feel safer than a general one.
• Keep funding steady. The report warns against funding wellness only in a crisis. Treat it as part of student success.

How do we hire or find the right counselors?

The report's recommendations:

• Make cultural and immigration related competency a hiring requirement, not a nice extra.
• Contract out if you cannot hire. Partner with community organizations or providers who already have these skills, so students are not referred to strangers.
• Train everyone, again and again. Give counselors recurring immigration training, and give staff who work closely with undocumented students basic mental health training.
• Give counselors time to consult immigration legal experts about how new policies affect students.
• Invite immigration impacted therapists to lead trainings.

The report also notes a pipeline problem. California's 3,000 hour supervised pre licensing requirement is hard for undocumented people to complete without work authorization. For students who want to enter the field, see How to become a licensed therapist in California if you are undocumented.

What should counselors do in sessions?

The report gives practical guidance for counselors:

Before and at intake

• Explain what therapy can and cannot help with. Many students doubt counseling can help with problems caused by legal status.
• Explain the difference between a wellness workshop, a support group and individual therapy.
• Walk through each intake question and why you ask it, including any question touching immigration status.
• Be clear about what is confidential, what is not, and how records are kept.

Record keeping

• Document the treatment and progress, not details about a student's legal vulnerability. The report's example: note that the student is dealing with issues connected to immigration, rather than writing that they are undocumented. Check that your notes still meet your own clinical documentation and billing rules.

In ongoing care

• Learn the student's specific situation. DACA, TPS, SIJS and no status bring different pressures.
• Do not make the student explain everything. Stay curious and do your own learning.
• Set scheduling and cancellation rules together, since legal and money pressures can disrupt attendance.
• Know your campus legal resources and rapid response plan. Refer for legal help; do not give legal advice.

In groups

• Set group norms and confidentiality rules in the first session.
• Make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.
• Encourage steady attendance, with flexibility for real conflicts.

What do California rules say about privacy and consent?

• K-12 school counselors. A school counselor generally must keep what a student 12 or older shares in counseling confidential, with exceptions such as a referral, a required abuse report, a clear danger, or the student's written waiver. A counselor must not tell parents if doing so would create danger (Education Code 49602).
• Minor consent. Since July 1, 2024, a young person 12 or older who is mature enough can consent to outpatient mental health counseling, including through Medi-Cal. The provider should involve a parent unless that is not appropriate, and must document why. Psychiatric medicine still needs a parent's consent (DHCS BHIN 24-046).
• College liaisons. Each community college and CSU campus must have a Dreamer Resource Liaison; UC campuses are encouraged to have one (Education Code 66021.8).
• Basic needs. Every California community college must have a Basic Needs Center, and its list of basic needs includes mental health (Education Code 66023.5, checked October 21, 2026).

For student records and campus enforcement questions, see Can ICE get my college records?.

How does a church or community group fit in?

Trust often lives outside the school. A congregation, youth group or community center can:

• host a wellness circle led by a licensed clinician who has immigration related competency
• share accurate referrals, including the 988 Lifeline and county mental health lines
• help with basic needs like food, rides and rent, which the report says belong alongside clinical care
• make it normal to talk about stress, fear and grief

Keep the roles clear. A pastor or volunteer can listen and connect, but counseling should come from a licensed provider.

What changed in 2026?

Immigrants Rising says that as of July 2026 it no longer offers its Mental Health Connector, Wellness Support Groups or Mental Health Career Program. It now points students to campus mental health services and its list of mental health resources for undocumented people (Immigrants Rising, checked October 21, 2026). That makes campus and community programs more important now.

Program readiness checklist

Questions people ask

Do we have to ask about immigration status at all? Ask only what you truly need for care. If you ask, explain why, and explain how it is recorded. K-12 public schools may not collect it except as the law requires.

Our counselors are not immigrants. Can they still do this well? Yes, with ongoing training, humility, and partners who bring lived experience. The report says immigration related competency must be kept up, not earned once.

What should we do in a crisis? Have a clear plan. Post 988 everywhere. Know your county's crisis line. In a life threatening situation, call 911.

How do we measure if it is working? Look at who comes back, not only who comes once. The report linked trust to steady attendance and to students' well being and grades.

Who can help

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Your campus Dreamer Resource Liaison or Dream Center: see Dream Centers and undocumented student programs at Bay Area colleges.
• San Mateo County BHRS ACCESS Call Center: (800) 686-0101, 24/7, TTY 711.
• Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services: (800) 704-0900.
• allcove, ages 12 to 25: San Mateo (650) 226-7030; Palo Alto (650) 798-6330.
• Other California counties: DHCS county mental health plan list.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Students notice who shows up for them, and who keeps showing up. Building trust takes time, and it is worth every step.