Abstract Book - International Academy of Law and Mental Health

Ann Marie Dewhurst, Valerian Consulting, Edmonton, Canada (annmarie.valerian@shaw.ca)Men involved in intimate partner violence prevention programs, like most people in therapy, aremore likely to make progress when they find: a) the content relevant; b) the process responsive tohis needs; and, c) participation actually helps him in some way (Duncan & Miller, 2008). Toensure that the facilitators of the Reaching for a Good Life Program received consistent andtimely feedback from participants, we employed the Outcome Rating Scale and the SessionRatings Scales (Duncan & Miller). Additionally, to ensure the connection to the Good Life goals,the men had established during their treatment planning sessions the Good Life histogram(Dewhurst, 2011) was employed at the end of each module as a means of reviewing those goals.The use and value of these tools for intervention planning and program evaluation will bediscussed.9. Asylum Deniability and RetraumatizationHow the Asylum Procedure Retraumatizes the Victims of TortureJoost den Otter, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, Copenhagen, Denmark(jdo@irct.org)To protect victims of torture is a world-wide obligation according to the United NationsCommittee Against Torture (UN CAT). However, torture is still being practiced in more than100 countries. Only a fraction of the people, who have been tortured or ill treated, flee to aEuropean country assuming to find a safe haven there. The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR)recently critiques both their inhuman detention conditions as well as the inadequate protectionagainst refoulement as being in spite of the Reception Directive. The identification of vulnerableasylum-seekers is a key issue of the European Union asylum policies. It is a stain upon Europe’sreputation that tortured asylum seekers are held in detention, a practice that carries a great risk ofretraumatisation for someone who has previously been confined and subjected to torture.Rehabilitation should first and foremost start by a proper determination and reception processthat is not retraumatizing. Hence, early recognition of torture victims who seek asylum isessential. A hearing and assessment by a health professional, using the Istanbul Protocol (IP), isparamount in guiding the refugee determination authorities. Moreover, as recently elaborated inUN CAT’s 3rd General Comment, each State party has to adopt a long-term, integrated approachand ensure that specialists for rehabilitation are available. The same IP assessment is a guide to aholistic rehabilitation process.The Detention of Asylum-Seekers and Irregular Migrants in theNetherlands26