From: APA Division Officers list on behalf of Anderson, Clinton
Sent: Wed 6/22/2011 4:55 PM
To: DIVOFFICERS@LISTS.APA.ORG
Subject: [DIVOFFICERS] For clinical divisions: Request for volunteer clinical psychologists
Please post this request for volunteers on your Division lists.
The AAAS On-Call Scientists program is seeking board certified and licensed clinical psychologists to work with Physicians for Human Rights on cases of US asylum seekers who are victims of torture and other forms of abuse.
Jessica Wyndham's message below provides information for those who might be interested.
Best regards,
Clinton
Clinton W. Anderson, PhD, Associate Executive Director and Director,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office
Public Interest Directorate
American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Tel: (202) 336-6037 | Fax: (202) 336-6040
email: canderson@apa.org | www.apa.org/pi/lgbt
Please consider the environment before printing this email.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jessica Wyndham [mailto:jwyndham@aaas.org]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 6:57 PM
To: Clinton Anderson <canderson@apa.org
Subject: Volunteer clinical psychologists
Hi Clinton,
We are looking for more volunteer clinical psychologists to assist with an "On-call" Scientists request and I was wondering if you would mind distributing a notice about this request through as many means as possible. The details are below:
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has contacted the AAAS "On-call" Scientists project in search of mental health professionals who are available to document evidence of torture and other abuse for asylum seekers in the US. Volunteers may be asked to review one case, or multiple cases in one year, depending on the demand at any given time and location. Each case is estimated to take about 6 hours of the volunteer's time, including the evaluation of the individual and preparation of documentation in support of their asylum application. You are always free to decline a case. Further information about the PHR Asylum Network, including resources available to volunteers, is available below.
All volunteers must be board certified and/or hold a current state license. PHR will request copies of relevant documentation once you are in direct contact.
Anyone interested in volunteering for this work is invited to sign up to become a volunteer here:
http://oncallscientists.aaas.org/default.aspx. If they have any questions, they can contact me directly at oncall@aaas.org.
Thank you for your help and please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.
_____________________________
Jessica Wyndham
Associate Director, Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program American Association for the Advancement of Science
1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Ph +1 202 326 6604
Fax +1 202 289 4950
http://srhrl.aaas.org/
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Physicians for Human Rights* Asylum Network consists of hundreds of health professionals throughout the country who offer pro bono psychological and physical evaluations to document evidence of torture and other abuse for men and women fleeing persecution in their home countries. Asylum Network volunteers employ the very skills they use in their everyday careers as health professionals to provide unbiased evaluations of asylum seekers. The medical testimony that Asylum Network volunteers provide, and that asylum seekers submit to the government in support of their asylum applications, is often the difference between an individual being granted asylum or being forced to return to persecution or even death in their home countries. Nearly 90% of the applicants evaluated by PHR Asylum Network volunteers in recent years have been granted asylum*a clear signal that the expertise of volunteer health professionals makes a huge difference in promoting the human rights of asylum seekers.
PHR provides interested and qualified health professionals with a written guide that includes an overview of political asylum law and procedure, discusses health professionals* role in asylum cases, and reviews components of appropriate testimony. PHR also provides new volunteers with the name of an experienced Asylum Network volunteer to serve as a mentor, background information on the human rights situation in the client*s country of origin, and sample evaluations. Health professionals are free to take on as many cases as their schedule permits, whether it*s once case per year, or one case per month. The asylum seeker*s attorney will provide a translator to assist in the health professional*s evaluation if necessary.
For more information on PHR*s Asylum Program, go to:
http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/asylum/.
