Resources for Health Care Interpreters

Professional health care interpreters are essential to providing equitable access to care for clients who are not fluent in a county's official languages.

To practice in a health care setting, professional interpreters should be fluent in both the language they are translating from and the one they are translating to. In Ontario, health care interpreters are expected to successfully complete Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tool (CILISAT) or Interpreter Language and Skills Assessment Tool (ILISAT), if available in their language. Interpreters should also be trained in medical terminology and have a clear understanding of their role regarding the importance of confidentiality, respect, impartiality, accuracy and completeness of communicating the client's message. Interpreters working in mental health settings face unique challenges and need the additional skills to successfully meet those challenges.

This section provides resources for health care interpreters who interpret for clients who have mental health and/or addiction problems.

What is ILSAT? CILISAT? 
Multilingual Community Interpreter Services (MCIS) provides information about the CILISAT and ILSAT tests.

Health Care Interpretation Network
Health Care Interpretation Network (HIN) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development of strategies to promote awareness of the language barriers in access to health care and the recognition of the need for the development of standards to guide the training of language interpreters in the health care sector.

Drug Chart Glossary
Glossary of various substances with their scientific and street names and psychiatric medication with their brand name. The substances and medications are grouped in the following categories: central nervous system depressants, central nervous system stimulants, hallucinogens and psychiatric medications.

Health Equity & Diversity Glossary
Glossary is provided to bring some clarity and common understanding to some of the terminology used in the health equity and diversity field.

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Glossary
Describes some terms and concepts as they relate to how people think and talk about sexual orientation and gender identity. These terms and definitions are not standardized and may be used differently by different people and in different regions. These are primarily English language terms that may not be easily translated into other languages, however there may be equivalent terms in other languages.

Mental Health and Addiction 101 E-learning Tutorials
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides a series of free, quick, easy-to-use online tutorials about mental health and substance use problems, and factors that are critical to understanding those problems.

Stigma: Understanding the impact of prejudice and discrimination
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has developed various resources aiming to educate the public about the challenges experienced by people with mental health and substance use problems, break down stigma, and improve access to the information and services available at CAMH.

The Forensic Mental Health System in Ontario: An Information Guide
This guide will help you learn about the forensic mental health system in Ontario.

CAMH Bill of Client Rights
The Bill of Client Rights is intended to emphasize the rights of clients who use the services of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).