About us
Center for
Empowering
Refugees and
Immigrants
Our Origin
Led by the strength and leadership of women survivors
In 2006, CERI came to life through the vision of Dr. Mona Afary, an immigrant from Iran and women’s rights advocate, and the commitment and guidance of 10 extraordinary individuals — most of whom were refugees and immigrants — serving on the board. 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. It was the courage and determination of these Cambodian refugees that transformed this vision into a powerful reality and laid the foundation for CERI’s journey.
Our community
Rooted in healing, community, and empowerment
Over time, the organization’s mission grew, embracing intergenerational mental health care, advocacy, and social services alongside training, education, and cultural enrichment. Each program fosters not only individual healing but collective empowerment, creating a space where community members lead the way toward systemic change and inspire others to do the same.
CERI has become a sanctuary, not just for survival but for connection and liberation — a place for over 1,200 refugees and immigrants annually. We celebrate the vibrant diversity of Cambodian, Vietnamese, Burmese, Afghan, Tibetan, Nepali, Iranian, and Eritrean communities across the Bay Area.
Our model
At CERI, we want you to feel at home . We provide holistic, trauma-informed, and culturally-rooted, and community-led care. We foster a loving environment that celebrates diverse cultures and collective healing.
Our work is grounded in the belief that health, justice, and liberation are interconnected.
We support new community members with essential needs— housing, public benefits applications, medical care, employment— through trained care navigators, Lay Counselors, and licensed providers on the clinical team. Members are also referred to group-based care to heal with community through meditation, dancing, gardening, knitting, cooking, or sharing meals. We regularly host cross-cultural and intergenerational community gatherings. Lastly, we amplify voices — helping to shape mental health policy recommendations and promoting civic engagement.
In this era of increasing threats to immigrant and refugee communities, healing justice is an embodied practice in our work, where we weave together cultural-based healing with collective action, recognizing that the personal is political.
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Care Navigators
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Group Care
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Policy Advocacy
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Civic Engagement
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