Mental Health Assessment Reports

Navigating an immigration, court or tribunal matter can be stressful, especially when the case involves family violence, trauma, mental health, migration stress, parenting concerns, or complex psychosocial circumstances. n these situations, a lawyer, migration agent or decision-maker may require more than a general counselling letter or report. They may need a comprehensive mental health assessment report prepared specifically for the legal or immigration purpose of the case.

At Live Your Story Counselling & Psychotherapy, we prepare specialised mental health assessment reports for Australian immigration, Administrative Review Tribunal, court and other legal matters. These reports are structured to provide clear, clinically reasoned and professionally relevant mental health evidence. The Department of Home Affairs recognises the report provided by our social work practitioner as a category of non-judicial family violence evidence. Under the current Migration Instrument Family Violence Provisions (LIN 23/026) 2023.

A specialised area of practice

Mental health assessment reports for immigration, tribunal and court matters are very different from routine counselling letters or general psychological reports.

Not every counsellor, psychologist, social worker or mental health clinician has experience preparing reports for legal or immigration purposes. These medico-legal reports often require a detailed assessment, review of supporting documents, clinical formulation, consideration of risk and trauma, and careful explanation of how professional opinions were reached.

In the past manyt years, we have worked with numerous clients who had previously obtained reports from other mental health professionals that did not adequately address the requirements of their immigration matter, and the reports were rejected by the immigration department. Clients then needed to do another assessment report and go through the whole assessment process again. This can create unnecessary extra cost, delay and emotional stress.

For this reason, clients should look beyond price alone. A specialised mental health assessment report requires significantly more professional time and expertise than a general counselling or psychological report. Before engaging a professional, it is worth asking whether they have specific experience preparing mental health assessment reports for immigration, tribunal or court matters to avoid any extra cost, unnecessary delay and stress

Immigration assessment reports may assist with:

• Partner Visa domestic and family violence claims
• Schedule 3 Partner Visa matters
• Protection Visa and humanitarian matters
• Visa refusal or cancellation matters
• Administrative Review Tribunal reviews
• Mental health consequences of deportation or forced separation
• Family separation and child-related immigration concerns
• Migration-related trauma, anxiety, depression and PTSD

Court and legal assessment reports may assist with:

• Intervention Orders or Apprehended Violence Orders
• Parenting and child-related matters
• Family violence and safety concerns
• Sentencing and diversion
• Community Correction Orders and treatment progress
• Good Behaviour Bonds and Adjourned Undertakings
• Victim impact and trauma-related matters
• Workplace, family or civil matters involving mental health or psychological harm

Experienced, culturally responsive asseesment

Our assessment practitioner, Dr Coby Liew, is a Registered Psychotherapist, Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) and Specialist Family Violence Practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in counselling, psychotherapy, forensic social work and mental health assessment practice. His work includes complex matters involving family violence, coercive control, trauma, migration stress, cultural pressure, family separation and psychosocial vulnerability.

Dr Coby also has a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) background and he is able to conduct assessment sessions in English, Chinese Mandarin (普通话) , Cantonese (粤语 / 广东话) , Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Thai (ภาษาไทย)  and Hakka (客家话) . This can make it easier for clients to discuss sensitive experiences involving family, culture, trauma, identity and migration.

Australia-wide and international assessments

Secure online assessment sessions are available to clients throughout Australia and internationally. If your lawyer or migration agent has asked you to obtain a mental health assessment report, or you require a specialised report for an immigration, tribunal or court matter, contact Live Your Story Psychotherapy to discuss whether the service is appropriate for your case. Our contact details are as follows:

• WhatsApp: 0408 375 544
• Email: admin@liveyourstory.com.au

The preparation of a professional report does not guarantee a particular immigration, tribunal or court outcome. The final decision and the weight given to any evidence remain matters for the relevant authority and decision-maker. Live Your Story Psychotherapy provides mental health assessment and professional opinion and does not provide legal or migration advice.