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A Marriage of Necessity,
if not Affection
Define the interpreter’s role in the therapeutic setting
Be familiar with an interpreter’s ethical obligations and professional responsibilities.
Identify what modifications have to be made to ensure the interpreted assignment is conducted in the most effective manner possible
Provision of health care by necessity must occur in an atmosphere of mutual trust and confidentiality
The dyadic relationship is the norm and is the way clinicians are trained
Moving to a triadic relationship is difficult for the clinician as it goes against this training
The triadic relationship is difficult for the client as another person (possibly from the same community) potentially has access to their inner secrets On-site Mental Health Interpreter workshop presentation website.ppt. (2006): Multicutlural Mental Health Australia.
PanicDiagnostic BlindersFascinationWorking Relationship
Good clinical practiceMore effective use of timeIt’s the law
ADATitle VI of Civil Rights ActSCDMH Directive 839-03
Intake Initial evaluation Designated Examinations Treatment Interventions
Treatment Planning Medical/psychiatric assessments Counseling sessions
Only experts in the target and source language
Interpreters, while knowledgeable in language and cross-cultural relationships are not experts in either mental health or the culture of the consumer
Different from a communicator Not a family member or friend
Therapeutic equivalence Information Perspective If equivalent in these three areas, then
the meta-message is equivalent, not word for word
Bot, H. (2005). Dialogue Interpreting in Mental Health. Amsterdam/New York, NY: Rodopi.
When making the appointment Pre-session During the session Post-session
Consumer’s language, be specific as possible (i.e., not Spanish, but Colombian Spanish)
Family’s language (if applicable) Racial/ethnic background General diagnostic information Educational background, if known Purpose of appointment (assessment,
ongoing counseling, etc) Gender preference, if clinically significant Logistical information (location, contact
person, security requirements, etc)
Purpose of the appointment Who will be present Cultural “landmines” or “tips” (knowing
these may not apply to this specific client) Specific vocabulary or concepts, especially
those with a meaning unique to the clinical setting (e.g. mindfulness, black out)
Potential safety or security concerns Procedures to clarify and/or interrupt the
process, if needed
Introduce the interpreter and explain their role Speak directly to the consumer, not the
interpreter Use short sentences Give the interpreter enough time to interpret,
depending on whether you are using a simultaneous or consecutive mode
Ask consumer for feedback to demonstrate understanding
Avoid idiomatic expressions, jargon and sarcasm Give consumer instructions and/or information in
writing if appropriate
Discuss how the session went Identify both problems and solutions
Clarify any confusion or ambiguity of meaning Do not expect the interpreter to provide you
with a mental health opinion Do expect the interpreter to provide you with
information about language usage, dysfluency or problems
Provide defusing if appropriate Arrange for follow-up if appropriate Feedback to the interpreter agency, if
appropriate
Working with an interpreter is both a challenge and an opportunity. If you are flexible, creative and open, you can gain new perspectives on not only your consumer and their linguistic community, but yourself and your other consumers
“Marriage demands that partners communicate their thoughts and feeling to one another and the first of the major problem areas for intercultural marriage is that of communication.”
Markoff, Richard. 1977. “Intercultural Marriage: Problem Areas.” In Adjustment in Intercultural Marriage. ed. Wen-Shing Tseng, John F. McDermott, Jr., Thomas W. Maretzki. Honolulu, Hawaii: The University Press of Hawaii.
