SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACTION
How We Give Back
IMPACT is Committed to Being a Force for Good.
Our therapists use their clinical skills and training to provide support to individuals seeking asylum in the United States. In addition to asylum seekers, we work with applicants seeking withholding of removal, those seeking relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and applicants petitioning under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA).
Through our partnership with Physicians for Human Rights, we work with applicants in a number of ways. We conduct comprehensive assessments (often with the assistance of an interpreter) with applicants to determine whether there are any mental health challenges - this may be due to the trauma experienced in the applicant’s country of origin, the experience of immigration, or pre-existing traumas or mental health difficulties that are now impacting the client. Evaluations are conducted in our offices, over Zoom, and, sometimes, in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers like the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in New Jersey.
Our trauma-informed assessments also take into account for cultural differences that may impact the applicant’s ability to tell a cohesive narrative. We determine mental health treatment needs and evaluate the possible effects of repatriation on mental health. We also collaborate with immigration attorneys to help safely and efficiently support applicants as they move through the asylum process, taking care not to inadvertently re-traumatize the applicant. After a comprehensive assessment, our clinicians draft a detailed affidavit that is then submitted to the asylum judge and is a central part of the application for asylum. If needed, we testify in court on behalf of the applicant and undergo questioning from the Department of Justice attorneys.
All services are provided pro bono and the results speak for themselves. 90% of reported asylum outcomes that include an evaluation performed by a PHR Asylum Network volunteer are successful, compared to a national average of barely 30%.
Individuals interested in receiving a psychological evaluation pertaining to an asylum case should contact Physicians for Human Rights directly. We are unable to accept direct referrals.
Who We Help
At IMPACT, we are dedicated to supporting individuals of all ages and backgrounds and this is also true in our work with applicants for asylum. Our clients come from all ages and a wide range of nationalities. With each applicant, we work to understand the circumstances that brought them to the United States and address the sequelae of trauma - PTSD, depression, anxiety, and fear of removal - with personalized care and expertise.
Here are some examples of asylum cases we have assisted in:
Please note - The list below includes topics that may be difficult for some people to read about.
-
A woman with an advanced degree who came to the United States lawfully as an academic with her children. She had reported domestic abuse in her country of origin and the response from the government was to send her to a “re-education camp” to train her to be more submissive. She felt certain she would face death if she returned after her academic visa expired.
-
A non-binary young adult who had experienced violence at the hands of police and government officials in their home country on the basis of their gender identity. They fled the country and their family had to go into hiding after they received numerous death threats.
-
A Christian from a Muslim-majority country whose home had been fire-bombed and children had been kidnapped in an effort to force him to close his business which sold Christian materials and to agree to converting to fundamentalist Islamic beliefs. He closed his business and his children were returned. The family fled to the United States shortly after this.
-
A mother who had been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) in her country of origin and fled as her own daughter approached the age at which she was expected to undergo FGM.
-
A gay, political dissident who was kidnapped and tortured by government officials for speaking out against them and for his sexual orientation.
-
A teenager who experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) by a family member and whose family had been targeted by the government in her home country because they refused to pay when the police demanded bribe money for operating a business in a local market. The grandmother, who had been victimized by the same family member and worried about impending violence from the police, sent the teen to the United States for her safety.
-
A Muslim from a minority sect in an African nation who survived kidnapping and torture, but lost his wife and children in an ongoing genocide, came to the United States through Mexico and began the process of seeking asylum once he crossed the border.
Why We Do This Work
We believe our clinical skills are a gift. We believe we are called to serve others. Our work with asylum seekers is infinitely rewarding and it is our responsibility as mental health professionals to be a force for good in the world. In the words of Leanh Nguyen, we are dedicated “to finding and retelling [these] unspeakable and unspoken stories” in hopes the retelling will lead to relief and ultimately to the refuge and safety that asylum offers.