Omid Advocate's unique approach to legal services is to bring community-organizing processes to a traditionally service-oriented agency. Our goal is to empower our clients to aspire to be active in organizing the larger Iranian community around social issues relevant to their legal case. In support of this objective, we encourage clients to be active in the progression of their legal case and create safe spaces for clients to share their feelings about their case through workshops and referrals to social and holistic mental health workers. With these efforts we seek to empower individual clients, raise consciousness about social and legal issues facing the Iranian community, and build a power base capable of creating community change.
Immigration Legal Services Program
We are currently offering offering free immigration consultations at the Persian Center twice a month. Please contact us for our next scheduled immigration clinic. We also provide low-fee or pro bono assistance with the following types of immigration related matters:
· Naturalization, Family Based Visa Petitions, Adjustment of Status Petitions, Political Asylum Petitions
· Free Consultations and Referrals on all immigration, employment, housing, and civil rights matters
· Know Your Rights presentations
Refugee Legal Assistance Program
Omid Advocates has continued to provide ongoing support and advocacy to Iranian refugees through our Refugee Legal Assistance and Advocacy Program. Our work has included legal representation of refugees before UNHCR to facilitate the processing of refugees pending applications for recognition and resettlement. Through our legal services we seek to empower refugees to advocate for themselves and confidently navigate through the asylum procedure by: helping refugees understand the refugee process, to present a coherent claim, and prepare for their interview; providing documentation, letters of support, requests to expedite applications, referrals for medical and psychological assessments and financial assistance; and advocating for refugee laws, policies and practices that coincide with the mandates of international refugee and human rights law. Most recently, our coalition of 7 volunteer attorneys and 4 volunteer translators has been working to represent Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey before the UNHCR and help them present their refugee claims.
Mental Health Services Program
We are currently organizing therapist-led support groups to bring Iranian community members together around the current human rights crisis in Iran. We have partnered with the International Association of Iranian Mental Health (IAIMH) to customize culturally competent assessment instruments for post-traumatic stress disorder for Iranians. Omid has witnessed that the Iranian community has a growing mental health need due to the trauma triggered by the events preceding the June 2009 elections in Iran. Together with IAIMH, Omid is assessing the culturally specific needs of Iranians locally and in the Diaspora to provide mental health services to Iranian asylum seekers and refugees. Through this program, we can offer mental health services and support groups to help members of the community process emotions and recent events in Iran. We are additionally planning on formulating a proposal with the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Omid and IAIMH to create mental health assessment trainings for organizations that work with Iranian clients, including the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. If you are interested in joining a support group, in referrals to individual therapists or counselors, or in helping to organize this group please contact us through our contact page.
Planned Future Programs
Women’s Advocacy Program
This program will provide women with information about violence against women, sex discrimination and harassment, and implement community based approaches to address women’s needs. We will address issues of domestic violence affecting Iranian women girls in the Bay Area through community outreach, partnerships, and campaigns, and empower Iranian women through education and organizing on the root causes of the oppression of women locally and around the world.
Senior Law Project
Our Senior Law Project will serve adults who are 60 years and older with legal representation and legal information. We will offer bilingual services in English and Farsi. The project promotes independent living, self-empowerment and community activism by addressing the needs of older adults in the following areas: public benefits, landlord-tenant relations, and referrals to estate planning and consumer protection legal services. We will assist with a range of benefits including: Social Security Disability Insurance, Social Security retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Care Benefits, Medi-Cal Benefits, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), Cash Assistance Linked to Medical (CALM), Private Pension benefits. We will offer our services through our free clinics at various offices and at regular clinics and presentations at several local senior centers.
Youth Leadership Development Program
Our Youth Program will empower youth with knowledge to make good choices and live healthy lives through community outreach, counseling & referrals, weekly group dialogues, activities/outings, interactive curriculum, community building, and after school activities including sports and recreation, music & culture, community involvement & leadership development. We will also serve hundreds of students at schools through the Bay Area with our teaching program facilitated by undergraduate & graduate students.
Worker’s Advocacy Program
Our Worker’s Program will empower Middle Easterners through community education and organizing to combat employment discrimination at all worksites and improve the conditions of low-wage workers. We will offer direct legal representation in wage and hour claims, discrimination claims and other employment matters, the provision of free clinics, and educational outreach.
Housing Law Project
The Housing Law Project addresses housing discrimination against Middle Easterners and the lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area. The project will provides legal assistance to individual non-English speaking Iranian tenants and seniors facing eviction, as well as advocate for policies that preserve low-income housing and neighborhood diversity. We will work to stop illegal evictions and rent increases to prevent the displacement of displaced working families and seniors. Without representation, victims of abuses of existing laws would have no remedy. While several agencies currently provide legal assistance to low-income households, particularly in eviction cases, Omid Advocates will be the lead legal services provider for Middle Eastern immigrants on housing issues in the Bay Area.
Immigration Legal Services Program
We are currently offering offering free immigration consultations at the Persian Center twice a month. Please contact us for our next scheduled immigration clinic. We also provide low-fee or pro bono assistance with the following types of immigration related matters:
· Naturalization, Family Based Visa Petitions, Adjustment of Status Petitions, Political Asylum Petitions
· Free Consultations and Referrals on all immigration, employment, housing, and civil rights matters
· Know Your Rights presentations
Refugee Legal Assistance Program
Omid Advocates has continued to provide ongoing support and advocacy to Iranian refugees through our Refugee Legal Assistance and Advocacy Program. Our work has included legal representation of refugees before UNHCR to facilitate the processing of refugees pending applications for recognition and resettlement. Through our legal services we seek to empower refugees to advocate for themselves and confidently navigate through the asylum procedure by: helping refugees understand the refugee process, to present a coherent claim, and prepare for their interview; providing documentation, letters of support, requests to expedite applications, referrals for medical and psychological assessments and financial assistance; and advocating for refugee laws, policies and practices that coincide with the mandates of international refugee and human rights law. Most recently, our coalition of 7 volunteer attorneys and 4 volunteer translators has been working to represent Iranian asylum seekers in Turkey before the UNHCR and help them present their refugee claims.
Mental Health Services Program
We are currently organizing therapist-led support groups to bring Iranian community members together around the current human rights crisis in Iran. We have partnered with the International Association of Iranian Mental Health (IAIMH) to customize culturally competent assessment instruments for post-traumatic stress disorder for Iranians. Omid has witnessed that the Iranian community has a growing mental health need due to the trauma triggered by the events preceding the June 2009 elections in Iran. Together with IAIMH, Omid is assessing the culturally specific needs of Iranians locally and in the Diaspora to provide mental health services to Iranian asylum seekers and refugees. Through this program, we can offer mental health services and support groups to help members of the community process emotions and recent events in Iran. We are additionally planning on formulating a proposal with the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Omid and IAIMH to create mental health assessment trainings for organizations that work with Iranian clients, including the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. If you are interested in joining a support group, in referrals to individual therapists or counselors, or in helping to organize this group please contact us through our contact page.
Planned Future Programs
Women’s Advocacy Program
This program will provide women with information about violence against women, sex discrimination and harassment, and implement community based approaches to address women’s needs. We will address issues of domestic violence affecting Iranian women girls in the Bay Area through community outreach, partnerships, and campaigns, and empower Iranian women through education and organizing on the root causes of the oppression of women locally and around the world.
Senior Law Project
Our Senior Law Project will serve adults who are 60 years and older with legal representation and legal information. We will offer bilingual services in English and Farsi. The project promotes independent living, self-empowerment and community activism by addressing the needs of older adults in the following areas: public benefits, landlord-tenant relations, and referrals to estate planning and consumer protection legal services. We will assist with a range of benefits including: Social Security Disability Insurance, Social Security retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Care Benefits, Medi-Cal Benefits, Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), Cash Assistance Linked to Medical (CALM), Private Pension benefits. We will offer our services through our free clinics at various offices and at regular clinics and presentations at several local senior centers.
Youth Leadership Development Program
Our Youth Program will empower youth with knowledge to make good choices and live healthy lives through community outreach, counseling & referrals, weekly group dialogues, activities/outings, interactive curriculum, community building, and after school activities including sports and recreation, music & culture, community involvement & leadership development. We will also serve hundreds of students at schools through the Bay Area with our teaching program facilitated by undergraduate & graduate students.
Worker’s Advocacy Program
Our Worker’s Program will empower Middle Easterners through community education and organizing to combat employment discrimination at all worksites and improve the conditions of low-wage workers. We will offer direct legal representation in wage and hour claims, discrimination claims and other employment matters, the provision of free clinics, and educational outreach.
Housing Law Project
The Housing Law Project addresses housing discrimination against Middle Easterners and the lack of affordable housing in the Bay Area. The project will provides legal assistance to individual non-English speaking Iranian tenants and seniors facing eviction, as well as advocate for policies that preserve low-income housing and neighborhood diversity. We will work to stop illegal evictions and rent increases to prevent the displacement of displaced working families and seniors. Without representation, victims of abuses of existing laws would have no remedy. While several agencies currently provide legal assistance to low-income households, particularly in eviction cases, Omid Advocates will be the lead legal services provider for Middle Eastern immigrants on housing issues in the Bay Area.
