Martha Palacio-Vallejo

Conducting advanced independent evaluations for federal immigration court (Hardship Waivers), Victims of Crimes (U Visas), or victims of trafficking (T visas), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Asylum; collaborated with Nina Rabin, Esq. from Harvard and Yale University, the Director of the Law Clinic at University of Arizona(UOA), collaborated in landmark cases; testified in immigration court as Expert Witness accepted by the Immigration Court; collaborated with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in landmark cases and in Special Immigrant Juvenile(SIJ) court cases conducting evaluations; challenged previous psychological evaluations conducted by licensed psychologists in Arizona; works mainly with Spanish speaking immigrant clients. Fee for service.

Independent Forensic Evaluator - Private Practice

(2014-03)

Conducting advanced independent evaluations for federal immigration court (Hardship Waivers), Victims of Crimes (U Visas), or victims of trafficking (T visas), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Asylum; collaborated with Nina Rabin, Esq. from Harvard and Yale University, the Director of the Law Clinic at University of Arizona(UOA), collaborated in landmark cases; testified in immigration court as Expert Witness accepted by the Immigration Court; collaborated with the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project in landmark cases and in Special Immigrant Juvenile(SIJ) court cases conducting evaluations; challenged previous psychological evaluations conducted by licensed psychologists in Arizona; works mainly with Spanish speaking immigrant clients. Fee for service.

Independent Court Investigator - Massachusetts Juvenile Court

(2020-08 - 2021-01)

• Conducted in-depth investigations in cases of physical and sexual abuse
• Investigated conditions affecting children, often focusing on those with developmental and mental disabilities
• Interviewed children, parents, and professionals involved in the case
• Wrote objective reports for the courts
• Made recommendations to the judge after gathering and analyzing all the facts
• Worked seven days a week
• Fee for service

Social Services Expert - Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services

(2020 - 2020)

Appointed by Juvenile Court judges to work on cases of the Department of Children and Family Services. Worked as a subject matter expert in cases of child abuse. Fee for service

Social Worker - ICE Processing Center (Immigration Customs Enforcement)

(2025-08 - 2025-09)

Mental Health Professional, subject matter expert (SME) in mental health and substance use disorder. Mental health assessments and intervention for detainees with suicidal risks and mental health problems.

Lead Clinician - Deployed Services LLC

(2024-11 - 2025-04)

Trained and supervised clinicians on Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) policies, procedures, and clinical standards. Reviewed and implemented ORR protocols to ensure compliance and quality of care. Provided trauma-informed mental health services to Spanish-speaking unaccompanied minors at the ORR Emergency Intake Site in Pecos, Texas, while employed with Loyal Source.

Clinician - Deployed Services LLC

(2022-07 - 2022-10)

Clinician - Loyal Source LLC

(2022-05 - 2022-06)

Contract Administrator - Arizona Supreme Court

(1996 - 2014)

Founded and directed a behavioral health organization providing competency restoration, counseling, and specialized clinical services under contracts with the Arizona Supreme Court Juvenile Services Division

• Negotiated, secured, and managed government contracts to deliver behavioral health services to court-involved youth throughout Arizona, including underserved border communities

• Designed and implemented program standards, clinical protocols, and documentation guidelines to ensure regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and consistency across services

• Provided administrative supervision to master's-level behavioral health professionals, supporting professional development, quality improvement, and adherence to best practices

• Directed program operations, strategic planning, budgeting, staffing, and performance management to maximize efficiency, clinical outcomes, and organizational growth.

Contract Administrator - Arizona Supreme Court

(2024-07 - 2025-11)

Evaluator Crisis Response - Terros Health Inc.-Rapid Response (Banner hospitals, Maricopa Medical Center, Lincoln Hospitals)

(2009-09 - 2011-10)

• Conducted crisis evaluations for mentally ill (SMI) with serious co-occurring substance use disorders
• Performed pre-petition mental health assessments to determine eligibility for court ordered treatment
• Provided expert testimony in weekly mental health court proceedings
• Delivered crisis intervention utilizing Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques
• Conducted risk assessments, safety planning, and disposition recommendations based on Arizona laws

Psychology Associate II - Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections

(1995-12 - 2000-05)

Provided specialized behavioral health assessment and treatment for justice-involved youth with substance use disorders, serious mental illness, and sexually abusive behaviors, including assignment to the Sex Offender Unit

• Served as a clinical consultant to supervisors, correctional officers, and institutional leadership on crisis intervention, behavioral management, and mental health treatment planning

• Volunteered to design and implement an innovative crisis evaluation system for juveniles in psychiatric emergencies, establishing a program that significantly improved access to timely mental health services

• Led the clinical development and implementation of standards that transformed the institution's isolation unit into a dedicated mental health crisis stabilization unit at Adobe Mountain School

• Played a key role in suicide prevention initiatives, strengthening behavioral health services and improving the safety of high-risk youth across the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections over a five-year period

• Conducted comprehensive psychological and risk assessments to identify, classify, and manage youth presenting with violence, sexually harmful behaviors, substance use diso

Clinical Supervisor - Southwest Behavioral Health Psychiatric Urgent Care

(1995 - 1995)

Supervised master's-level clinicians in a high-volume psychiatric emergency center, ensuring high-quality crisis assessment, documentation, and patient care; Conducted comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, suicide and violence risk assessments, assessed patient acuity, determine immediate treatment needs, and identify cases requiring psychiatric medication evaluation prior to consultation with the on-duty psychiatrist; collaborated closely with psychiatrists, nurses, emergency physicians, law enforcement, and multidisciplinary teams to develop safe and effective disposition and treatment plans; provided clinical guidance and consultation to staff on complex cases, risk management, and crisis stabilization.

Master's - Forensic Clinical Social Work (MSW) - Boston College

Bachelor - Psychology & Sociology

Certificate program - Substance Use

Post-Graduate Certificate - Advanced Clinical Practice Children, Youth, Families - Boston College (2021 - 2021)