10 Hours / 10 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Psychological Evaluations in Immigration Court: Considerations for Mental Health Professionals is presented by Virginia Barber-Rioja, PhD.

About 11 million immigrants in the U.S. are undocumented, and it is estimated that about 15% of those in immigration detention suffer from a psychiatric disorder (Human Rights Watch, 2010). Political instability around the globe and increased violence in Central America, paired with tougher immigration policies like family separation, are all expected to increase the rates of mental health symptoms in immigrants and refugees. This highlights the important role that mental health professionals can play in the immigration court system. Mental health experts can aid immigration judges in making deportation decisions in a number of ways based on the type of relief from removal that immigrants are applying for. Persecution-based applications are based on fear of persecution and torture (i.e., asylum) and often involve the assessment of trauma-related symptoms or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Discretion-based applications can involve the evaluation of the hardship that will be suffered by the immigrant or their family if deported. Evaluations for immigration court are considered a type of forensic mental health assessment and require expertise in both forensic and cross-cultural psychology. In addition, these evaluations present particular challenges as immigration laws are rapidly changing, the referral questions are not always clear, and appropriate testing instruments are limited.

The goal of this program is to provide attendees with knowledge about the legal context of immigration court and the different types of relief available to undocumented immigrants and to review general considerations in the process of conducting evaluations in immigration proceedings.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the legal context of mental health evaluations conducted for immigration court.
  • 2 Describe the different forms of relief available to undocumented non-citizens in the U.S. and the related psycholegal issues, including competency to participate in immigration proceedings.
  • 3 Describe other relevant forensic issues in immigration court, such as competency, violence risk assessment, and malingering.
  • 4 Describe the challenges of cross-cultural assessment, specifically the assessment of PTSD, intellectual disabilities, and symptom validity in individuals from a different culture.
  • 5 Describe the different areas of professional competency for mental health professionals who conduct evaluations in immigration court.

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and allied professionals who work with or are interested in working with immigrant and refugee populations, particularly in legal and forensic contexts. It is especially relevant for those specializing in forensic and cross-cultural psychology, including those who conduct evaluations for immigration court or provide services to immigrants and refugees.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Specialists in forensic and cross-cultural psychology
    • Clinicians conducting evaluations for immigration court

  • Experience Level

    This CE training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in forensic and cross-cultural assessment within the context of immigration court.


    • Beginner: Participants are new to forensic mental health evaluations or have limited experience with immigration-related assessments and seek foundational knowledge about legal and psycholegal issues affecting undocumented immigrants.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience conducting mental health assessments, including basic exposure to forensic or cross-cultural contexts, and are looking to deepen their understanding of specific legal standards, types of relief, and challenges unique to immigration court evaluations.

    • Advanced: Participants have substantial experience in forensic and cross-cultural mental health assessment, including prior work with immigration court cases, and seek to refine their expertise in complex psycholegal issues, advanced assessment techniques, and evolving legal standards.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners work in multidisciplinary, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive clinical and forensic environments that interface closely with the immigration legal system. They conduct evaluations and provide care in high-stakes contexts shaped by evolving policies, documenting trauma, hardship, and functional impairment to inform court decisions while safeguarding client wellbeing and cultural-linguistic needs.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Community mental health clinics and outpatient programs
    • Hospital behavioral health and academic medical centers
    • Private practices providing forensic immigration evaluations
    • Legal-aid and nonprofit service organizations
    • Immigration detention facilities and ICE-contracted centers
    • Resettlement agencies, shelters, and humanitarian NGOs
    • School-based or university-affiliated clinics
    • Telehealth practices and multidisciplinary teams collaborating with attorneys
Presented By

Virginia Barber Rioja, PhD

Virginia Barber Rioja obtained her Ph.D. in clinical forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. For 7 years, she worked in the NYC jail system holding the positions of Co-Chief and Clinical Director of Mental Health, and Assistant Chief of Forensic Services for Correctional Health Services/NYC Health + Hospitals, which provides mental health treatment to the NYC jails and forensic assessment services to the NYC courts. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Psychology Department of New York University and the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology of Teachers College, Columbia University. She has over 15 years of experience working in correctional and forensic contexts, including jails, forensic hospitals and alternative to incarceration and reentry programs. She also worked as a consultant for the juvenile correctional facilities in Puerto Rico. Currently, Dr. Barber Rioja consults for the Center for Justice Innovation as a Senior Clinical Policy Advisor and maintains an independent forensic practice involving consulting, training and forensic assessment in immigration, state, and federal court cases. She is an elected Member-At-Large of the American Psychology Law Society (APLS), a board member of the Asociación Iberoamericana de Justicia Terapéutica (Iberoamerican Association of Therapeutic Jurisprudence) and a former elected member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Legal Issues (COLI).

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Palo Alto University maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073.