The Bay The Oakland Program Helping Khmer Rouge Survivors Heal
Nearly 320,000 Cambodians live in the US, with about a third living in California. Many are survivors or descendants of those who fled the country during the Cambodian genocide. An estimated 2 million people died under the communist Khmer Rouge, leaving survivors with emotional, physical and psychological trauma.
Barriers such as language access or cultural stigma often prevent survivors from accessing mental healthcare to address the trauma. But one program in Alameda County has spent the last 20 years providing culturally sensitive mental health care to the Cambodian community, letting survivors lead the way — and participants say it works.
Guest: Soreath Hok, reporter for KVPR
Links:
- A program built by Cambodian refugees offers PTSD support. Participants say it works
- Cambodian refugees cope with war trauma by reinforcing culture and community
- From Cambodia to California: Survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide need access to mental healthcare
This episode was produced by Alan Montecillo and Maria Esquinca, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.
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