Since 2015, Dana Nolan has worked with clients needing mental health evaluations for their immigration cases. She has collaborated with many immigration attorneys in central and south Florida to provide thorough and compassionate assessments to people with complex immigration issues that are affecting their mental health. She has received advanced training from the Immigration Evaluation Training Center and has completed many immigration mental health assessments. Prior to working with immigration attorneys and their clients, Dana also has a 15-year history of working with families in distress as a Guardian ad Litem, Parent Coordinator and Social Investigator where she provided sound assessment and recommendations to family court judges in high conflict divorce and custody cases. She is comfortable and adept at both conducting mental health assessments with families and with navigating the legal system by communicating with attorneys, reporting to judges, and provides expert witness testimony in court as necessary.

Several different types of Immigration cases can be aided by a psychological evaluation with a licensed mental health counselor.

“Extreme hardship waiver” petitions are filed when family separation or relocation to another country would lead to an extreme hardship on a close family member or loved one of the immigration client. Dana comprehensively assesses each client to highlight the unique elements that are causing extreme psychological distress to the affected family member.

“VAWA” (Violence Against Women Act) petitions allow victims of domestic violence regardless of gender to petition to stay in the United States without their abuser’s knowledge and participation in the immigration process. Dana assesses and details the specific symptoms of the victim’s abuse and trauma and discusses client credibility in her evaluation reports as well.

Persons requesting “Asylum” in the United States have one year to file for asylum after entry into the United States. However, due to emotional or psychological reasons some individuals fail or are unable to seek asylum within one year. Dana can explain and highlight those reasons for delay as related to mental health, if necessary. As part of the mental health assessments for those involved in immigration cases, Dana also details the specific client experiences of persecution and current psychological symptoms that are common in asylum cases.

Less frequently, Dana has provided mental health assessments for clients petitioning to stay in the United States under a “U or T visa.”

Our comfortable, ADA accessible office is located in Altamonte Springs and we have a network of translators that clients can use during their assessments if needed. We can work out payment plans should clients need to spread out their payments due to financial hardship.

Please call our office at 407-340-2474 or use the contact form to reach out with questions about immigration evaluations.

Hear what attorneys have said about Dana’s work with their immigration clients:

“I would be most pleased to recommend you to other immigration attorneys. Your evaluations for VAWA and extreme hardship cases are most comprehensive and persuasive to USCIS. I have successfully used your mental health evaluations in a number of VAWA and 601A and 601 applications.”

James R. LaVigne, Esq
LLM, International Law
Florida Board Certified Immigration Law