Immigration Evaluation

A mental health evaluation is important for an immigrant’s case because it provides crucial evidence. (For instance, an asylum seeker has been through trauma in their home country but may not have physical scars. A mental health assessment can document the invisible scars of PTSD, which provides evidence for their case.) A mental health evaluation is often the only evidence that an immigrant has, and frequently, it’s the deal-breaker in an immigrant’s case. It’s often THE deciding factor in whether a client’s family can stay together or whether an immigrant can escape life-threatening circumstances in their home country.

Generally, therapists charge around $800 to $1200 per evaluation. This covers the hours needed to meet with the client and write up the report.

The length of time varies depending on the case. Therapists often average approximately 4 to 8 hours per evaluation (which would include meeting with the client and writing the report). Often, therapists find that it takes them longer when they're first starting out, and then it goes faster with more experience. Some therapists also collaborate with proofreaders or other writers, which can greatly speed up the process.

Referrals often come from immigration lawyers, and the right tools and strategies can help you connect with them. It’s good to remember that you only need a handful of lawyers who like your work in order to have ongoing referral streams. Georgia’s training includes cutting-edge marketing strategies that are proving successful for therapists in the field. Not only do these include an email script and sample flyer for networking with lawyers, strategies also include marketing to immigrants directly and connecting with agencies providing low-fee legal services. The training provides a wide range of tools, tips, and strategies for hitting the ground running and developing referral streams.