Working with Interpreters in Clinical Settings: Online Tutorial
Language is one of the greatest barriers in access to care and the quality of care for people of non-English speaking backgrounds. Language barriers pose limitations to informed consent and delays needed services. Often it can lead to unnecessary testing, longer hospital stays and increased hospital readmissions. Even when patients have basic English skills their command of it may not be adequate to allow for mental health assessment or for detailed information gathering, particularly when they are in distress.
Qualified trained interpreters ensure that people who are not fluent in English or French have fair access to high-quality mental health services. Working with an interpreter and communicating through a third person can feel challenging. This short online tutorial has been developed to provide health care providers with the knowledge and skills that are necessary for working effectively with interpreters in a mental health setting.
Upon completion of this tutorial you will be able to:
- describe the effects of language barriers on health care
- assess a patient's need for an interpreter
- work effectively with an interpreter
- describe core competencies and skills needed for interpretation in a mental health setting
- discuss the particular challenges of interpreting in mental health assessment and therapy
Click above image to begin course.