CIRH Academy: Bridging Gaps and Increasing Knowledge to Support Immigrants and Refugees
CIRH Academy—an educational initiative of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH)—provides culturally tailored trainings on immigrant and refugee topics that are designed to enhance the health and wellness outcomes for immigrant and refugee communities.
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Focus Areas
Capacity Building & Leadership -
Programs
Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health
Explore resources from PHI’s Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH), designed to provide culturally tailored trainings on immigrant and refugee topics to enhance the health and wellness outcomes for immigrant and refugee communities.
This page includes the following resources
- Very High Levels of Violent Discipline Among Children in Afghanistan with Dr. Saeedzai
- Strengthening Refugee Women’s Health Through Reproductive Health Literacy Training
- Discussion on Autism Spectrum Disorder with Dr. Sharifi
- Identifying and Overcoming Challenges Faced by Refugee Families with Dr. Rafiullah Sadiq, MD, MICHA
- Discussion on Afghan Refugee Legal Issues with Attorney Spojmie Nasiri
CIRH Academy helps address the significant challenges that many immigrants and refugees encounter during their resettlement journey, including trauma; overcoming language barriers; accessing culturally or linguistically appropriate care; navigating unfamiliar healthcare and health insurance systems; managing financial constraints; lack of knowledge about available services and rights; fear of discrimination or stigma; and more.
CIRH Academy bridges these gaps by offering:
- Information about the latest research and data on immigrant and refugee issues/topics
- Health education for communities, including community-focused workshops and resources help immigrants and refugees understand preventive care, access available services, and know their rights within the healthcare system.
- Cultural competency training for providers, such as comprehensive training programs equip service providers with understanding and respect for cultural differences to produce compassionate, effective care.
Browse CIRH Academy’s in-person workshops, webinars, and multilingual digital materials, CIRH Academy resources inclusive, impactful tools for use by immigrants and refugees, service providers and academic partners to improve services for these constituents.
Explore CIRH Academy’s offerings:
Very High Levels of Violent Discipline Among Children in Afghanistan with Dr. Saeedzai - April 11, 2025
Dr. Sayed Ataullah Saeedzai, MD, MSc, a seasoned public health expert with over 17 years of experience, joined Dr. Rafiullah Sadiq, MD, MICHA, CIRH's Refugee Health Navigator/Educator, to discuss the shockingly high levels of violent discipline against children in Afghanistan. The session explores the prevalence, key determinants, and socioeconomic disparities that shape the physical and psychological aggression in Afghan households and its long-term consequences for children.
This video is in Pashto and includes a presentation followed by a Q&A session. The auto-generated translation is available by clicking the Subtitles/Closed Captions option.
Strengthening Refugee Women’s Health Through Reproductive Health Literacy Training - Mar 7, 2025
Reproductive health is a critical yet often overlooked issue in refugee communities due to stigma, lack of access, and misinformation. In this webinar, our expert speakers, including Dr. Heike Thiel de Bocanegra, PhD, MPH, Dr. Ahmad Fahim Pirzada, MD, MPH, and Asiya Yama, will introduce the Refugee Reproductive Health Network (ReproNet) and share key strategies and resources to normalize conversations about reproductive health in clinical, school, and community settings.
This video is in English and includes a presentation followed by a Q&A session.
Discussion on Autism Spectrum Disorder with Dr. Sharifi - Feb 26, 2025
Dr. Osman Sharifi, Postdoctoral California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Fellow and CEO of 2C Bioscience, joined CIRH's Executive Director Mohammad Sediq Hazratzai to discuss the prevalence and epigenetics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), sharing insights into its impact and underlying factors.
This video is in Dari and includes a presentation followed by a Q&A session. The auto-generated translation is available by clicking the Subtitles/Closed Captions option.
Identifying and Overcoming Challenges Faced by Refugee Families with Dr. Rafiullah Sadiq, MD, MICHA - Feb 26, 2025
Dr. Rafiullah Sadiq, MD, MICHA, CIRH's Refugee Health Navigator, joined Jasmin Kouhkan, MSW, CIRH's Refugee Student Wellness Advisor, to discuss key barriers refugees face during resettlement and practical strategies for providers to offer support.
This video is in English and includes a presentation followed by a Q&A session.
Discussion on Afghan Refugee Legal Issues with Attorney Spojmie Nasiri - Feb 7, 2025
Attorney Spojmie Nasiri, Principal Attorney of Law Office of Spojmie Nasiri, PC and board member of the Afghan American Community Organization, joins Mohammad Sediq Hazratzai, Executive Director of the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH), to discuss recent federal immigration measures and their potential impact on refugee and immigrant communities.
This conversation is in both Pashto and Dari. Auto-generated translation is available by clicking Subtitles/Closed Captions option.
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