American Sign Language Interpreters who Interpret in Mental Health Settings

These CPC tenets and situations discussed cover a wide range of professional interpreting scenarios. Said situations and subsequent decisions made, based on the guiding principles, were thought provoking and gave me an opportunity to look at potential scenarios through a different lens. I’m hoping to curb my overt body language and facial expressions in a way that will allow me to deliver an unbiased product to my consumers. Additionally, I will continue to stand firm on my commitment to patient confidentiality, and hope to further promote that commitment within the interpreting profession. Lastly, I hope I will successfully navigate through professional interpreting scenarios and adversities in a way that will uphold the CPC tenets; and foster

(1997). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Karliner, L. S., Jacobs, E. A., Chen, A. H., & Mutha, S. (2007). Do professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited english proficiency?

We asked the following group the following five questions in which they all answer and we followed by a group discussion to improve our approach to offering our patients an interpreter service via phone/Marti or live interpreter. We focused on both positive and negative aspect on how we can achieve 100% compliance.

True or false: If treating a patient who does not speak English, it is preferable to use a family member to interpret, rather than a translator, as they have a better understanding of the patient’s home life and the progression/onset of their injury.

For example; If a patient does not speak the language of which country they are in, interpreters or translators may be needed in order to help communicate with people from the local area. These are important to keep the person informed about what is happening and what is going to happen. Supporting individuals to express their needs and

Consequently, the need for qualified interpreters in the clinical settings is of great essence in the reduction of

This for example could mean the support of an individual who is deaf and needs to find other ways to express their needs and preferences. A health and social care service provider could put the service user in touch with British Sign Language interpreters, Deaf-blind interpreters, lip-speakers, note-takers and speech-to-text reporters. Another reason that an individual may need this kind of support is if they do not speak English and require an interpreter. This is particularly common in hospitals. The interpreter may be a friend or relative or even a person specifically hired to be an interpreter in health

Insuring that the patient fully understands what is being done to them is of great importance. As patients, they have the right to understand what is being done and why. Informed consent must be given; the patient should be able to repeat what they have been informed of before the procedure is done. Currently “only 33 percent of U.S. hospitals have quality improvement efforts underway to improve the quality of their language access programs.” (Armand and Hubbard, 2010). The goal of the interpreter is to assure that the LEP patient has no doubts or concerns and totally understands what is going to happen, why, and any options they may have.

In response to reading this book, I will be utilizing more the services of professional interpreters during the physical therapy session with the patient rather than using ad hoc interpreters such as family, friends, hospital clerks and housekeepers. Professional interpreters improve the quality of clinical care for LEPs to level that for those patients without barriers in language (Gray & Hardt, 2017). Meanwhile, ad hoc interpreters might be bilingual but they have no medical training (Gray & Hardt, 2017).

Lor et al. (2016) examined the growing problem of language barriers for patients in the United States and around the world. The use of interpreters is often the solution to bridge the gap between languages. The purpose of this study was to examine patient perception of interpreter services.The population for this study included 10 English proficient Hmong patients and 10 Spanish speaking patients. The participants ranged from age 33 to 75 years old. The intervention was that poor quality interpretation could lead to poor relationships among patients, interpreters and providers. In addition poor interpretation could end up in the patient being unable to follow through with treatment plans. Lastly, poor quality interpretation can lead to emotional distress for patients. Comparison was that patients have expectations on how the

Jacobs, E. A., Shepard, D. S., Suaya, J. A., Stone, E. (2004). Overcoming language barriers in health care: costs and benefits of interpreter services. American Journal of Public Health, 94 (5), 866-869.

One night in 1981, Jeff Munks, a police office in San Jose, CA responded to an urgent call and arrived at a residence where a Vietnamese immigrant who spoke no English was screaming and waving his arms agitatedly. Next to him, his son was having trouble breathing. After Jeff guessed what had been happening and immediately called for an ambulance, he kept thinking about emergency situations where danger is exacerbated because of a language barrier. This resulted in Telephone Interpretation being offered since that year. This service connects trained interpreters via telephone to Limited English Proficient (LEP) Individuals. Cyracom International is one of those companies that provide critical

Another form of communication is touch which can be used to reassurance Gleeson and Higgins (2009). However care must be taken in regards to gender and cultural differences Sully and Dallas (2005). Interpreters are used for mental health patients who are deaf or if there is a language barrier. (NAD, 2015)

In reviewing several videos from the Deaf Counseling Center, I have the utmost respect for counselors who are in training to learn ASL and have a desire to work with individuals with hearing loss. Honestly, I was struggling in watching the interpreter sign what she wants to express about psychotherapy, and the counseling process for individuals with a hearing loss. I found out as an upcoming vocational rehabilitation counselor having difficulty finding signs for simple words or interpretation in what is being said during each you tube video that I previewed that I am know where near ready to communicate with sign language in a therapeutic setting. The deaf and hard of hearing should be provide counseling just like everyone else. I think this is very important they also have the right to be able to communicate with ease in a therapeutic setting and be able to work with their counselor in developing mutual trust. Recruiting the assistance of a professionally trained and certified sign language interpreter to facilitate communication is probably the best way for me to go as an upcoming vocational rehabilitation counselor and actually I have seen this work out remarkably well in several circumstances.

During the study, Davidson said that the scarcity of time become the factor of the patient in medical interview. It is because the patients who used interpreter often were left alone for sometimes an hour while they waited for the interpreter to arrive (Baker, 2010 p.160). Moreover, Davidson said that the interpreters are possibly conducted the interview with the patient before the physician arrived (Baker, 2010 p.160). They took a charge of physician’s position by asking questions the patient about the illness before they convey it to the physician. This affects the process of elaborating a Chief Complaint from patient which becomes shorter. Besides, the interpreters also would occasionally go so far as to conduct the initial portions of the interviews itself. According to Davidson in Baker (2010, p.164) the interferences of interpreter in medical interview create harms for the physician. For instance, in