Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) - Approved

• Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland that provides culturally-relevant mental health and other social services. Founded in 2005 by bilingual/bicultural mental health professionals, CERI is an Oakland-based nonprofit organization offering mental health and other social services to refugees and immigrants affected by war, torture, genocide and other life-altering traumas.
• • Owner
    Sun Wee Yun
  • Created On
    12-14-2020
  • Updated On
    05-09-2024
  • Update Reminder
    10-01-2025

• How To Contact

  • Name
    CERI General Contact
  • Phone
    (510) 444-1671
  • Fax
    (510) 373-2495
  • Email
    info@cerieastbay.org
  • Address
    554 Grand Ave
  • City
    Oakland
  • State
    CA

• More Information

  • Start Date
    10-14-2020
  • Expiration Date
    10-14-2025
  • Eligibility
    free
  • Fee
    0.00
  • Organization
    Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI)
  • Zip Code
    94610

• Helpful Links

  • Main Program URL
    https://www.cerieastbay.org/
  • Adults and Elders Programs
    https://www.cerieastbay.org/adults-and-elders
  • Anti-Deportation Advocacy
    https://www.cerieastbay.org/anti-deportation-advocacy
  • Youth and Young Adult Programs
    https://www.cerieastbay.org/youth-and-young-adults

• Detailed Information

  • Here is a summary of the historical background and context of the refugee and immigrant communities that CERI serves:

    - Afghanistan 

    - Burmese Refugees

    - Cambodian Refugees

    - Eritrean Refugees

    - Ethiopian Refugees

    - The Filipinx Refugees 

    - Indian Refugees

    - Indonesian Refugees

    - Iranian Refugees

    - Latinx Refugees

    - Nepali Refugees

    - Rwandan Refugees

    - Tibetan Refugees

    - Vietnamese Refugees

    
    

    ADULT AND ELDERS

    CERI offers a holistic array of culturally sensitive bilingual services that support the mental health and wellbeing of refugees and immigrants. We integrate traditional services such as clinical mental health counseling and medication management with culturally and spiritually tailored intervention strategies.

    Young Mothers: Blossoming Young Khmer Women provides full-time case management, weekly individual therapy sessions and weekly mother-and-child bonding program with children playdates. The program also includes outdoor and nature outings and ongoing workshops such as family planning, nutrition, pregnancy, breast feeding, food safety and encouraging positive communication. 

    Support Groups: Our range of culturally grounded support groups emphasize self-expression, body awareness and connecting to a peer support network and include: Stress Reduction & Meditation, Movement/Dance, Yoga and Deep Relaxation, Men’s Expressive Arts & ESL, Women’s Self-Expression using Visualization and Dream Work, Knitting and Sewing, Painting, Jewelry-making and Cooking.

    Clinical Counseling: Trauma-informed therapy is available to individuals, couples and families. Services are culturally relevant and can be short- or long-term. Modalities include humanistic client-centered therapy, CBT, drama therapy, EMDR and mindfulness. 

    Medication Management: For clients who require psychotropic medication, we offer a monthly psychiatric clinic providing psychiatric evaluation and medication management.

    Alternative Healing: Through our community partners, CERI clients receive a range of free alternative healing (i.e., restorative yoga, acupuncture, coining, chanting, gardening, cooking, fishing) to support their mental and physical health. 

    Stop the Hate: Since 2022, CERI has been working on the Stop the Hate program, dedicated to aiding Southeast Asian communities affected by hate crimes/incidents and supporting their families. Through this initiative, CERI offers a comprehensive range of services including individual therapy, care management, group therapy, psychoeducation, outreach, and referrals to other essential services.

    Under the Stop the Hate program, CERI provides the following services:

    Direct Services: We offer individual therapy, group therapy, and care management to survivors of hate incidents/crimes and their families. Our approach encompasses culturally sensitive bilingual services designed to promote mental health and overall well-being.

    Prevention Services: CERI engages in proactive measures by collaborating with young leaders to create artwork and providing senior safety training for elders. We educate and train individuals in de-escalation techniques, self-care practices, and awareness strategies. Our services are tailored to various linguistic and cultural groups, with a particular focus on Southeast Asian communities. Through targeted outreach efforts, we disseminate information, raise awareness about hate crimes and incidents, address issues of racialization and anti-Blackness, and offer valuable resources to affected communities.

    Outreach: Ceri actively engages with Southeast Asian communities in the Bay Area through outreach activities, participation in community events, organization of communal gatherings, and fostering relationships with community leaders. Our goal is to promote awareness, provide information, and offer resources related to the diverse programs and services Ceri provides.

    
    

    Youth and Young Adults
    

    - Southeast Asians Mobilize for Equity (SEAME): ages 12-18 years

    - Youth Community Access: ages 17 - 26 years

    - Wellness & Enrichment: ages 5-12 years

    - Care Management: ages 5-26 years

    
     

    Southeast Asian LGBTQ+ Community 
    

    CERI welcomes and prioritizes LGBTQ+ individuals, couples and families—who all deserve culturally affirming mental health care and a place to live their truths. 
    

    25% of LGBTQ+ Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) experience psychological distress at rates higher than any other group—straight or LGTBQ+—and at rates more than four times higher than their straight AAPI counterparts (Krehely, 2009). Depression, suicidal ideation and internalized oppression as well as war, colonialism, education disparity, filial piety, acculturation, the “model minority myth” and documentation status compound the unique challenges for this community. More than 1 in 3 documented and 1 in 7 undocumented LGBTQ+ adult immigrants are AAPI. 
    

    
    

    Anti-Deportation Advocacy
    

    Through New Light, CERI provides mental health outreach and services for families facing the possible deportation of a loved one. Alongside learning their rights and the role that plays in protecting their families, community members receive a variety of emotional support. 

    Tuesday Family Night: Every Tuesday (4-6 pm) is Family Night. Individual and couple therapy are available as well as group support. Play therapy is available for children. 

    Yoga: Specifically designed for trauma survivors, this weekly class focuses on gentle yoga movement to reconnect with the body and begin processing long-held emotions from past traumatic experiences. Clinical staff are present to support community members as emotions arise.  

    Civic Education: Part of our larger effort to provide civic education, information and advocacy training to move from isolation to engagement, we assist in voter registration, understanding the ballot and grassroots organizing. 

    Court Case Support: CERI has prepared psychological evaluations for community members targeted, for use in pleading their court case.

• Eligibility Information

  • States
    • CA
  • Counties
    • Alameda County
  • Cities
  • Zipcodes
  • School Districts
  • Age Groups
    • All Age Groups
  • Languages Served
  • Family Incomes
  • Insurance Providers

• Files