Clinician Onboarding
LICENSED CLINICIANS perform the forensic medical evaluations with the help of a medical student and oversee the student in the affidavit-writing process. To get involved, you must attend a training on forensic medical evaluations for asylum seekers, join our list of trained clinicians and consider shadowing with an experienced evaluator.
You can find a full description of how we operate here. You will also find answers to some FAQs from new clinicians below. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us.
For a list of resources for evaluations as well as links to training material, please see our resources page.
If you are a resident or medical student, please click on work with us and go to your appropriate page. Fellows may complete the forms on this page.
Onboarding with us is a simple three-step process. Please complete all sections on this page in order to be registered to volunteer with us.
Step 1: Basic Information
This form provides us with some general information to help match you with evaluations that are the most appropriate for you.
Step 2: PHR Registration
In order to perform evaluations with us, you must register with PHR’s Asylum Network. Clicking the button above will direct you to the Asylum Network Application on PHR's website. When completing this application, be sure that you write "I will be volunteering with the Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative" in the “Please describe any relevant/related training or experience with forensic evaluations” section. Learn More…
Clinician FAQ’s
1. Will I be covered by my malpractice insurance when conducting forensic medical evaluations with the DGSOM Asylum Clinic?
No. Forensic medical evaluations do not constitute medical care and thus medical malpractice does not apply in these cases. There is a theoretical possibility that a clinician conducting a forensic medical evaluation for an asylum seeker could be accused of negligence, however PHR is not aware of a single case in which this has occurred. Once completed, the affidavit becomes the property of the attorney and the client who can choose not to use it if they wish. In the event of a lawsuit based on negligence or some other source of liability, UCLA faculty (but not UCLA-affiliated clinicians who do not have faculty status) would be covered by their UCLA liability insurance. UCLA Insurance and Risk Management recommends that UCLA-affiliated clinicians who are not faculty members and who wish to definitively address any potential legal liability should consider arranging for their own liability insurance for this purpose. We are not aware of any insurance companies that offer products specifically tailored to the forensic medical evaluation of asylum seekers. If you have further questions about this topic or would like to clarify your faculty status at UCLA, please contact us and we will put you in touch with our contacts at UCLA Insurance and Risk Management.
2. What if I do not have a UCLA Affiliation
Due to restrictions from the UCLA school of medicine, we cannot at this time work with clinicians who do not have a UCLA Affiliation. It can be somewhat complicated but, essentially if you have an appointment at UCLA (paid or volunteer) or see patients at UCLA, you should be okay. If you are unsure whether this applies to you, please contact us.
There are many other options however for you to perform evaluations. The USC-Keck Human Rights Clinic (https://www.keckhumanrights.com/) has indicated to us that they may work with any licensed clinician, regardless of affiliation and we encourage you to reach out to them. Furthermore, if you have an appointment at Olive-View UCLA you may volunteer with the OVMC Human Rights Clinic by reaching out to Sural Shah SuralShah@mednet.ucla.edu and Arash Nafisi ANafisi@dhs.lacounty.gov. Last, by joining PHR's Asylum Network (Step 3 of our registration process), you can perform cases directly with PHR.