For years healthcare interpreters were seen as invisible message conveyors that could not intervene or mediate communication in any way. As the profession has evolved, so have the role expectations and the interpretation of the standards of practice, and yet there are still lines that cannot be crossed.

This session explores two commonly misunderstood standards of practice for healthcare interpreters – impartiality and role boundaries – and strategies to uphold them. Both standards are essential to guarantee a patient’s right to equal access, and yet they can be tricky to carry out when a situation challenges personal values or pulls at heartstrings. We will look at how an interpreter’s visibility, implicit bias, and self-awareness can help or impair communication. Attendees will leave with concrete suggestions on how to better visualize the lines they cannot cross and manage an encounter in which they are asked to step out of their role.

Workshop objectives

• Participants will be able to explain the importance and context of relying on national standards of practice
• Participants will be able to list the national guidelines (NCIHC primarily, but also IMIA and CHIA) regarding impartiality and role boundaries for healthcare interpreters
• Participants will be able to apply the principles stated in the national standards of practice to concrete situations as they happen during healthcare encounters with LEP patients
• Participants will be able to apply mindfulness techniques during difficult and/or emotional situations

About the trainer

Elena Langdon has been an interpreter and translator since 2000. She is certified by the American Translators Association (ATA) as a Portuguese-into-English translator and by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters as a core-certified healthcare interpreter. She holds a Master’s in Translation Studies and has been teaching interpreting and translation since 2005. Elena was chairperson of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the ATA. Elena trains interpreters at several institutions, including MassAHEC, UMass Amherst, Glendon College, and Seven Sisters Interpreter Training and Consulting, her newest venture.

Registration: Berkshire AHEC provides online registration for its continuing education programs. Please visit http://www.berkshireahec.org to register for this program. Payment can be made with all major credit cards. If you are unable to register electronically, please contact us at skirby@berkshireahec.org so we can assist you in registering.

Certificates and Completion Requirements: Participants are expected to sign-in and sign-out, attend the entire program, and complete an evaluation. Certificates will be emailed to participants four weeks after program completion. Participants will not receive a certificate of completion until payment has been received.

Refunds: Berkshire AHEC Medical Interpreting Program does not provide refunds after 10 full calendar days prior to the start date of the program. If an individual request a refund due to illness, a partial credit towards a workshop occurring in the same fiscal year may be issued. However, you must notify the Berkshire AHEC office before the close of business the day prior to the scheduled workshop. Credits for cancellation due to illness will only be issued once per fiscal year per individual.

No NBCC credit is available or offered for this program