Physician Training on Asylum Evaluations
Saturday, September 21, 2019
8:45 AM-5:00 PM
The Need
Without a medical evaluation, 75% of asylum seekers are deported to their country of origin. With an evaluation, greater than 90% are granted refugee status. The need is large: 40,000 people per year seek asylum in the United States. 18 to 45% of people seeking asylum are victims of torture and, in 2014, the Philadelphia Immigration Court received 954 applications for asylum. These numbers may change with the new asylum laws passed in 2019.
Program Overview
The Philadelphia Human Rights Clinic (PHRC) is pleased to offer this free training session to teach physicians how to conduct and document a forensic evaluation for people seeking asylum. The PHRC's mission is to provide medical evaluations for people seeking asylum in the United States due to persecution and torture in their home countries. The clinic trains physicians to perform physical and psychiatric evaluations of people seeking asylum and trains medical students to draft affidavits.
Schedule
8:45 – 9:15 a.m.: Registration and Light Breakfast
9:15 a.m. – 4 p.m.: Program
4 – 5 p.m.: Reception
Course Chair/PHRC Director
Alisa R. Gutman, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania
Registration
There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is required. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Target Audience
Physicians, residents, social workers, psychologists and fellows who would like to conduct physical and psychiatric evaluations as well as complete affidavits for asylum applicants.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, attendees should be able to:
- Summarize immigration and asylum processes in the United States and discuss the important role of
the health professional and forensic documentation in these processes.
- Diagnose and evaluate the variety of presentations of emotional, psychological, and physical
sequelae characteristic of torture survivors and survivors of other human rights abuses who
are seeking humanitarian protection in the United States.
- Integrate health professional skills and expertise within the legal framework to prepare medical-legal
documentation and presentations of findings of human rights abuse.
- Construct and write a medical affidavit of support for a survivor of torture or human rights abuse who
is seeking asylum or another form of humanitarian protection in the United States.
CME Information
Accreditation:
In support of improving patient care, Penn Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for the Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Designation of Credit:
Penn Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Questions?
For more information, please contact phrc.education@gmail.com.
Contact Information
phrc.education@gmail.com