We provide compassionate, multilingual and culturally-competent case management services to help newcomers thrive

BRFN provides culturally-tailored and trauma-informed case management services to help newcomers flourish in their new communities.  With a staff of +85% refugees – primarily from the Afghan, Eritrean, and Ethiopian communities we mainly serve -  our case managers come from lived experience and speak the languages of our clients. We have Dari, Pashto, Farsi, Urdu, Hindi, Tigrinya, and Amharic languages spoken on staff.  Our team of case managers utilize a comprehensive intake and assessment tool to evaluate each client’s strengths and needs. We work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized action plans, prioritizing urgent and time-sensitive needs while fostering long-term self-sufficiency.
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Common requested supports include:

• Education: referrals and support in accessing adult schools, community college, computer literacy classes, ESL classes, school enrollment for children, training programs, and tutoring 
• Employment: navigating EDD, referrals to job readiness trainings and employment services, navigating issues with employers and workers' rights
• Finances: information on bank accounts, bills, budgets, car insurance, credit, loans, retirement accounts, and taxes
• Health: applying for Medi-Cal or Covered CA, navigating health systems, Covid vaccine access, understanding medical bills and wellness support
• Housing: orientation to affordable housing and assistance with applications, setting up Internet and utilities, rental assistance and tenants rights
• Immigration: information and referrals to legal service providers for asylum applications, legal permanent residency, citizenship, work permits, travel documents and family petitions; assistance with civil surgeon exams and biometrics
• Public benefits: information and assistance with enrollment, renewals and navigating challenges with CalWORKs, RCA, Medi-Cal, CalFesh, GA, and SSI
• Other: applying for a Social Security Number, getting an ID or driver's license, using public transportation

If you are a community member in need of help, please visit our Get Help page.
​If you’d like to support our work in welcoming newcomers, please consider volunteering, donating in-kind supplies, or making a financial contribution.

Our Work in Action!

Eritrean asylum seeker M works as a truck driver supporting his family. When his work permit expired, his employer told him he could not continue without a valid permit, and they would not accept the USCIS 540-day automatic extension notice. Although M had already applied for renewal, the delay in approval put his job at risk.
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​Our Eritrean case manager stepped in, spending hours on the phone with USCIS and advocating for an expedited review. The work permit renewal was approved shortly after, allowing M to keep his job and continue providing for his family.