What is the complete clinical evaluation service?
We provide psychological evaluations in both English and Spanish for Extreme Hardships, VAWA, U visa, T visa, or Political Asylum. We offer virtual sessions as well as in-office services to our patients in our Houston office. We see many clients from around the world and welcome clients to invite an interpreter if needed.
The clinical evaluation is an informal interview along with several psychological assessments. The evaluation requires at least one session; sometimes more sessions are necessary to completely assess and formulate a diagnosis. The evaluations must be completed within 30 days for reliability of the assessment and diagnosis. The evaluation report is usually completed 5-7 business days after your appointment. If it is needed sooner, a fee is required.
It is strongly recommended that you consult with your attorney prior to the first session. It is reasonable to expect that prior to the first session, you should:
- Know why you are attending the sessions for psychological evaluation:
- To provide the biopsychosocial information required as part of your immigration /other documentation.
- Know what it is you are trying to achieve by obtaining a psychological evaluation:
- The goal is to provide adequate information to qualify for the immigration status you are seeking, e.g., to provide evidence that demonstrates a hardship should there be a deportation, as in the case of a hardship waiver; to provide evidence of credible fear of being returned to your country of origin, as in an application for asylum, etc.
- For those who require a psychological evaluation for other reasons, e.g., fitness to be a parent, educational placement, or fitness to stand trial, the goal is to provide an adequate amount of information to demonstrate/prove that which is being investigated.
- Know what is required from you to achieve the goal:
- You must share sufficient information about your history and experiences to provide evidence that supports your immigration application or other intended purpose. The information you must share with the clinician (and eventually an immigration officer) is deeply personal and often details painful and traumatic experiences.
- The information you provide must be authentically your own; the clinician cannot advise you on what to say or on other legal matters.
It is Your Story to Tell
Reliving past trauma is often so painful that sometimes the patient is unable to speak about what happened or is happening to them, but the psychological evaluation report can only be based on information that the patient gives to the clinician. The clinician applies therapeutic communication techniques in the effort to bring the patient’s authentic experience to the foreground. The patient will be asked to elaborate, explore, and consider cause-and-effect consequences of statements they make. The clinician will make every effort to encourage the patient to tell their story.
Patients who are experiencing or have experienced pain, trauma and terror are exceptionally vulnerable to suggestion. The clinician must carefully help the patient explore the topics they themselves bring up, rather than lead them in a direction they have not implied, suggested, or initiated. Please be advised that the clinician cannot coach or advise you on what to say. The clinician cannot provide legal advice, counseling, or services, including discussing your immigration application, the immigration process or possible legal ramifications stemming from the information that you give.
Most immigration attorneys require you to have a clinical evaluation.
A psychological or clinical evaluation does not mean you are crazy or have some sort or mental illness. The clinical evaluation is a valuable tool an immigration attorney can use to get your hardship waiver. If sufficient evidence indicates that hardship would be suffered upon deportation, you have a stronger chance to get your waiver granted.
If you did not include a clinical evaluation in your application and have received a refusal of an immigration application, or have been requested to attain more proof, your case can get delayed. This delay can cause further anxiety and stress; the fear of deportation can lead you and members of your family to experience emotional and financial hardships. In some cases this may lead to various forms of depression.
Save Money, Save Time, Reduce Stress: get your clinical evaluation complete before submitting your immigration application.
