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 designed for mental health and allied professionals who work with or are interested in working with immigrant and refugee populations, particularly in legal and forensic settings. The program is suitable for clinicians at all stages of their careers, from beginners to advanced practitioners, and is especially relevant for those seeking to expand their expertise in forensic and cross-cultural psychology, including conducting evaluations for immigration court.

  • Experience Level

    This training is applicable for all career stages: entry-level, mid-career, and experienced professionals.

  • Practice Setting

    • Psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals.
    • Specialists in forensic and cross-cultural psychology.
    • Clinicians conducting evaluations for immigration court.
    • Professionals working with immigrant and refugee populations.
    • Staff in legal and forensic environments (e.g., immigration courts, legal aid organizations, social service agencies).

Presented By

Virginia Barber-Rioja, PhD

Dr. Virginia Barber-Rioja earned her Ph.D to the Clinical Psychology at John Jay Training Area, a discipline within the Graduate Center’s PhD Program in Psychology, in 2009. Upon graduation, she became the Clinical Director of Queens TASC Mental Health Diversion program, an alternative to incarceration program that works in collaboration with the Queens Mental Health Court, the District Attorney’s office and the defense bar. In this position, she helped reshape the program into a clinically informed diversion program that utilized testing and evidence-based risk assessments to aid the courts with eligibility decisions. She subsequently worked for three years as an attending psychologist in the Forensic Inpatient Unit of Bellevue Hospital Center, which provides treatment and assessment to incarcerated individuals with acute psychiatric conditions. In 2012, Dr. Barber Rioja became the Clinical Director of EAC Network’s Brooklyn and Staten Island court mental health diversion programs and jail and prison re-entry programs. In this job, she helped developed the Staten Island Mental Health Court, as well as a prison re-entry program for individuals with Severe Mental Illness.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Virginia Barber-Rioja, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • The legal context of immigration court

  • Different types of relief available to undocumented immigrants

  • General considerations in the process of conducting evaluations in immigration proceedings

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).



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) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 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), SW CPE 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 and 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #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. CONCEPT Professional Training 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.