PSC 6544 Working with Asylum Seekers

Millions of people throughout the world are forced to flee their native country as a result of persecution. Many of them seek refuge in the United States where they may be granted protection in the form of asylum. For the United States to grant asylum, refugees must demonstrate a well-founded fear of future persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, social group or sexual orientation should they return to their home country. The decision to grant asylum is made at an asylum hearing at which asylum seekers, represented by their attorneys, present their case. The attorney will often use a psychological assessment of the asylum seeker to strengthen the argument for granting asylum. This course trains students to perform these psychological assessments under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Course content involves the legal, medical, and psychological aspects of doing psychological assessments, as well as didactic material on refugees, refugee stress, and refugee trauma. Instructional methods involve case presentations, didactic materials, and lectures by outside medical and legal experts. Prerequisite(s): PSC 6145.

Credits

3