Our mission

The Refugee & Immigrant Mental Health Coalition of Ohio (RIMHCO) is a collaborative effort of refugee and immigrant-serving organizations, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders. The mission of RIMHCO is to promote effective mental health services in Ohio through shared knowledge and community empowerment.

Our Vision for Change

Our vision is to direct both refugee and immigrant communities and service providers towards accessible, quality, culturally-responsive mental health and counseling services.

Our Guiding Values

  • We strive to develop the skills of cultural competence while also placing greater emphasis on the lifelong nurturing of cultural humility.

  • We recognize that refugees and immigrants have unique experiences and standard practices may not be sufficient and require innovation, flexibility, and creativity.

  • We value and prioritize the voice of community members, recognizing that there are multiple indigenous, religious and diverse cultural expressions of healing and wellbeing that differ from traditional western medicine.

  • We work together and actively look for partners to strengthen mental health services for refugees and immigrants in Ohio.

  • We advocate for fair and equal access to mental health resources and knowledge for refugees and immigrants.

Core Team

Fatimah Masood
MPH, LSW

Lorena Vernaz Asadi
MSW, LISW-S

Janai Troutman
MSW, LSW

Amanda Epting
MSW, LISW-S

Kyri Shaffer

Kyri Shaffer
IMFT-S

Cat Gossman
MSW

Miriam Tesfai

Miriam Tesfai
Certified Cultural Broker

Dorothy Johns
CMA, Certified Cultural Broker

Iman Shehabi

Iman Shehabi
MSW, LSW

Want to join RIMHCO?

The mission of RIMHCO is only possible because of its members, who generously volunteer their time, skills, and lived experiences. Anyone is welcome to join RIMHCO, either in a leadership role on our Core Team or as a General Member.

If you’re interested in becoming part of our community, please complete our admission form!