About Us

Meet the Berkeley City College Wellness Center Team!

For individual counseling, please complete a Mental Health Referral to request an appointment. For Peer to Peer Support, please complete a P2P referral form to request an appointment.

Interested in joining the Wellness Center Team? Click here to learn more about the PCCD Mental Health Training Institute.

 

Janine

Janine Greer (She/Her)
Title: Mental Health Specialist/Clinical Supervisor
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 830am-4pm
Email: jgreer@peralta.edu
Office: 2000 Center St Rm 106, Berkeley, CA 94704

Three words  laughter, music, fun!
Where are you from?
San Francisco!!!
What university did you attend? 
University of San Francisco
Why did you choose this path?
A not so hot experience at a community college. And I truly believe in the capacity to learn to love ones scars

A Fun Fact about you – I LOVE TO ROLLER SKATE!!!!


cynthiaCynthia Park Chai

Title
: General & Veteran Counselor/Assoc. Clinical Counselor
Email: cynthiapark@peralta.edu
Hours: Mondays 9am-5pm Remote/Telehealth

Three words to describe yourself
Encouraging, diligent, empathetic
What university are you attending?
Started at BCC as a trainee in 2018 while in grad school, graduated from University of San Francisco, and have been working at BCC since then
Where are you from?
From San Jose, CA and have been living in East Bay for the last 8 years
Why did you choose this path?
To create a space where people can feel safe, validated, and know that they are not alone
A Fun Fact about you.
My plant collection is at 36 and counting

Meet my P2P Partner!

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Devang Kadam

Three words to describe yourself
 Encouraging, Patient, Empathetic
Major/Program you are currently studying
 Currently torn between Aerospace Engineering and Electrical Engineering
Where you are from
I am an International student from India
What made you become a P2P member (peer supporter)
I have lost a couple friends to suicide over the past few years, and the fact that I couldn’t help them or identify that they needed help haunts me to this day. I wanna be able to help as many people as I can, because life is the most precious gift that we have, and no one should feel like their life isn’t worth livin
A fun fact about you
I can solve 7 different types of Rubik’s Cubes.


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Jenny Kern (she/ her)
Title: Mental Health Counselor Associate
Monday & Tuesday : Remote/Telehealth
jennifer.kern@peralta.edu

Three words to describe yourself
Authentic, Kind, Funny
What university did you attend?
The Wright Institute
Where are you from?
Berkeley by way of 6 east coast states
Why did you choose this path?
Fascination with the inner worlds of humans and a passion for being of service
A Fun Fact about you.
I ride a tricycle for fun and exercise

Meet my P2P Partner!

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Ophelia O'Dell

3 words to describe myself:
Undefeated jenga champion. (I realize this probably meant 3 adjectives, but I like this better)
Major/Program you are currently studying
 Just completed my AA in psychology, and now studying for a B.A. or B.S. in Cognitive Science
Where you are from
I’ve moved over 30 times in my life!
What made you become a P2P member (peer supporter)
I have a long story, as many of us who work in mental health do. I want to use my experiences to connect with and offer aid to others. Community is everything to me.
A fun fact about you
I used to work for a union as a welder and sheet metal worker. 🙂


JESS-FA24-150x150

Jess Cruz
Title: Mental Health Counselor Trainee
Emailjessica.cruz@peralta.edu
Hours: Wednesday & Friday: 9am – 3pm

Three words to describe yourself:
Charismatic, Open-minded, Empathetic
 What university are you attending?
San Francisco State University
Where are you from?
Los Angeles
Why did you choose this path?
Coming out + personal lived experience
A Fun Fact about you.
I’m a self proclaimed rockstar

Meet my P2P Partner!

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Jess Skeva

 

Three words to describe yourself
Empathetic, Observant, Friendly
Major/Program you are currently studying
Sociology
Where you are from?
Concord, CA
What made you become a P2P member (peer supporter)?
I came to the Wellness Center back in 2018 and the resources I got here positively impacted the trajectory of my life! I want to be able to help connect people with resources so that more people can create change in their own lives as well!
A fun fact about you
I love weightlifting and encouraging people to feel comfortable showing up in the gym!


Rebeca

Rebeca Servin Garcia (Beka)
Title: Mental Health Counselor ASW
Emailrebeca.garcia@peralta.edu
Hours: Mon & Wed 9am – 5pm

Three words to describe yourself
Resilient, Determined, and Effervescent
What university did you attend?
CSU East Bay
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Mexico City
Why did you choose this path?
Trajectories of life
A Fun Fact about you
I have been to five continents

Meet my P2P Partner!

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Nicole Gonsalves

 

Hello my name is Nicole I am a mother of four and currently working on my AA-T. I am certified in Mental Health First Aid and excited to begin this journey as a Mental Health Navigator at Peralta Colleges. I have a passion for helping people and supporting them in healing or finding resources that support their mental health.


Chinue

Chinue Igwe
Title: Mental Health Counselor AMFT
Emailchinue.igwe@peralta.edu
Hours: Mon &Fri 9am – 5pm

Three words to describe yourself
Compassionate, silly, open-hearted
What university are you attending?
Graduated in 2023 from SF State
Where are you from?
Grew up in the Central Valley but I call Oakland home
Why did you choose this path?
Lived experiences + my own healing journey
A Fun Fact about you.
I’m a double Scorpio who loves Trader Joe’s!

Meet my P2P Partner!

IMG_4483-150x150

YuWathan Aung (she/her)

 

Yu is an international student who is always excited to share her cultural background from Myanmar and Singapore. She is enthusiastic about reaching out to other international students should they need peer support. She is also passionate about advocating the importance of mental health and is eager to connect her fellow peers to the resources they are looking for. She hopes to be able to make a meaningful impact on those around her by being part of their journey here at BCC. In her free time, she is either watching a Korean drama or is whipping up a meal in the kitchen.

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Karen Navarro
Title: Mental Health Counselor LCSW
knavarro@peralta.edu

Three words to describe yourself
Non-judgmental, Insightful, Curious
What university did you attend? 
UC Berkeley 
Where are you from?
Moved to Berkeley in 2001 from the San Fernando Valley  
Why did you choose this path?
I've always been drawn to understanding people's stories. I have benefited from being in therapy and was inspired to help others also navigate their challenges to grow from them.  
A Fun Fact about you.
When I miss family abroad, I cook traditional Salvadorean dishes from my childhood. 

More P2P Team Members

BIO-PHOTO-Mikhal-Tewolde-Mikhal-Tewolde

Mikhal Tewolde (she/her)

Mikhal is a BCC/Umoja alumni who is born and raised from Oakland, CA and is now attending her last year at UCB as a Sociology major. Mikhal plans to educate herself about the social factors of mental health through sociological and psychological perspectives. She is interested to learn how mental disorders are treated in a sociobiological context and the outcomes that seek to resolve them. As an individual who has experienced challenges with her own mental health and others in her community, Mikhal wants to be an an advocate. For those who are dealing with any challenges wellness related and to erase the stigmatization of the problems she faces in her community in relation to mental health/illnesses. In the long run, Mikhal would like to pursue the career pathway of becoming an MFT (Marriage & Family Therapist) back in her hometown of Oakland, CA.


Join our Team!

Welcome to the Mental Health Training Institute

We are glad that you are interested in finding out more about our practicum program at the Peralta Community College District (“PCCD”). We are a community of colleges that empower and inspire our students to rise to their full potential.  We equip our diverse student population with the necessary tools, resources, and experiences to meet and exceed their goals. 

The objective of the PCCD Mental Health Training Institute is to provide pre and post-graduate mental health counseling students with individualized supervision and prepare them to become proficient in clinical counseling, assessments, diagnosis, treatment planning,  group therapy, and crisis management. We are a program designed to encourage demographically underrepresented groups to enter the profession and to improve recruitment and retention in underserved populations.  Supervision is available in the disciplines of Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, and Licensed Clinical Professional Counseling. The position focuses on providing direct clinical and outreach services to currently enrolled PCCD students.  

therapist-in-training will develop and refine skills in: 

  • Establishing strong relationships with clients 
  • Suicide and crisis management 
  • Conceptualizing clients and their concerns 
  • Developing and applying a theoretically-based plan for treatment with a client 
  • Using self-awareness as a therapeutic tool 
  • Making appropriate referrals for clients who need more than brief therapy sessions 
  • Serving diverse populations who have varying degrees of mental health challenges  
  • A variety of service modalities 

 Peralta Community College will provide:

  • Weekly one-on-one supervision  
  • Weekly group supervision                                                       
  •  Professional Development Workshops 

Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.  Please upload PDF copies of your cover letter, resume, and references. 

*Stipends offered are dependent on current funding

If you have any questions please feel free to email: PCCD-MHInstitute@peralta.edu