Forensic mental health professionals in the immigration process

Abstract

This article adds to the existing literature on the role of mental health professionals in assisting attorneys in the asylum and refugee determination process primarily in the United States. The authors describe the legal context for asylum and refugee processing, challenges in conducting evaluations, diagnostic considerations, and specific competencies needed for mental health evaluators. Various cases are presented to illustrate key points. These cases purposely do not include any identifying information of any specific client, yet they are representative of the range and scope of issues that arise in this context.