Center for Empowering
Refugees & Immigrants
〰️ We are SAFE
〰️ We BELONG
〰️ We THRIVE
〰️ We are CERI
〰️ We are SAFE 〰️ We BELONG 〰️ We THRIVE 〰️ We are CERI
Culturally attuned and holistic mental health services for underserved refugee and immigrant communities
CERI was founded by Mona Afary, Ph.D., with the support of refugees and immigrants from around the world who shared a profound belief in its mission. This vision found its heart and strength in the partnership of CERI’s participants, survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide, who, for over 20 years, carried the heavy burden of PTSD and decades of silence and whose courage and hope became the foundation of CERI’s story - a testament to unity, healing, and the unwavering spirit of humanity.
Our programs
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Mental Health Services
CERI’s humanistic and relational clinical approach is client-centered, strength-based, rooted in love and oriented toward liberation (personal and collective) from what is systematically oppressing our communities. We offer trauma-informed and multilingual clinical counseling, medication management, and support groups.
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Social Services & Care Coordination
Care coordinators offer systems navigation, accompaniment, and interpretation/ translation to anyone who walks in the door. Care coordinators are trained in Lay Counseling, and can provide skilled emotional support that is culturally contextual and in-language — helping to fill the gaps in “traditional” mental health care.
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Youth Development Services
Youth programs offer safe, supportive space for young people to explore wellness, creative expression and art, set goals, develop leadership skills, and advocate for social justice. Programs help youth build self-esteem, confidence, inner strength, and relational skills.
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Arts & Culture
From the design of our physical space to the ways that we gather with food, music, stories, and rituals, arts and culture are woven into everything we do. Our approach recognizes that healing is also about cultivating joy. By fostering pride in cultural identity, we support cultural revitalization as a powerful and essential pathway to healing.
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Community Leadership & Advocacy
CERI doesn’t just provide services—we amplify voices. We’ve played a key role in shaping mental health policy recommendations with immigrants and refugees in California, and support civic engagement through multilingual voter education and registration.