Mental Health Interpreter Training

Our 30-hour Mental Health Interpreter training is offered by UMass Chan Medical School or our partners at the Center for Health Impact or Berkshire AHEC.

Description: The goal of this training course is to provide experienced medical interpreters with knowledge and skills specific to the delivery of effective, reliable, and comprehensive interpreting in mental health settings. The curriculum outlines a theoretical and practical understanding of the multiple roles of the interpreter as well as relevant clinical, ethical, cultural, and linguistic considerations in the behavioral health field. Additionally, the curriculum will enhance the medical interpreters’ ability to understand and render culturally responsive communication through practice exercises.

Objectives: Medical interpreters participating in this training program will:

• Perform effectively as an integral member of mental health multidisciplinary treatment team.
• Identify mental health related issues, common psychological disorders, and types of treatments.
• Demonstrate the skills to work in mental health settings.
• Apply the roles of the medical interpreter (i.e., conduit, message clarifier, cultural broker, patient advocate) in mental health settings.
• Use mental health related terminology and vocabulary in English and Target Language.
• Apply the triadic encounter across various mental health settings.