Interpreters in Mental Health Settings
"Non-specialized crisis counselors must first recognize that they are working through an interpreter. If aware, they must then constantly evaluate whether they are assessing the deaf person or the interpreter."
Here are some considerations when working with sign language interpreters:
First, let's address the elephant in the room.
Some people ask, "Why shouldn't we ask a signing employee or family member to interpret for us?" There are several answers to this question.
Professional interpreters are: trained, fluent in both American Sign Language and English, understand Deaf Culture, remain neutral even in emotional situations, understand the role of the interpreter, and follow the Code of Ethics, which is listed below and includes confidentiality, professionalism , continuing education, and respect for all consumers. They can also professionally recognize what is a "typical" or expected range of sign production. This means they can offer valuable professional data to help you evaluate your client's expressive and comprehension skills.
"Signers", in contrast, are: Not certified, haven't received specialized training, may not know Deaf culture or the role of the interpreter, are not bound by the Code of Professional Conduct (CPC), and may not remain neutral. Since they are not trained, they likely would not be able to help you understand the client's language in the context of the larger community.
Tenets of the Code of Professional Conduct for Certified Interpreters (RID & NAD): https://rid.org/ethics/code-of-professional-conduct/
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Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.
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Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.
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Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.
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Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.
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Interpreters demonstrate respect for colleagues, interns, and students of the profession.
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Interpreters maintain ethical business practices.
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Interpreters engage in professional development.
What is a CDI & why/when are their services invaluable?
A Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) is an interpreter who is also Deaf, which means they share common experiences with the Deaf consumer and, because ASL is their first language as well, they can often catch smaller nuances in a person's signing than a hearing sign language interpreter can.
* Hiring a CDI would usually also be paired with hiring a hearing interpreter to support the communication between you (the hearing clinician) and the CDI.
Bringing in a Certified Deaf Interpreter can be extremely helpful in the following situations:
- Forensic or Legal Situations
- Clients from other countries or who need culturally-affirming language
- Clients that have language deprivation because they didn't have language models growing up
- Clients who have trust issues because of poor or lack of interpreting services in the past (ie increases their comfort level)
- Clients with ADHD
A note on why direct communication (ie, not having interpreted conversations) is CRITICAL during times of crisis:
complex interplay of language dysfluency and clinical symptomology." p2
Helpful PDFs pertaining to working with interpreters:
- RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) Standard Practice Paper: Interpreting in Mental Health Settings
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3DKvZMflFLdWmFVV2tydVRFTHM/view
- Sign Language Interpreter Agencies for the Portland (OR) area can be found under this site's tab "Local Interpreter Agencies." If you live in a different area, you can look for Qualified Mental Health Interpreters (QMHIs) in your state by checking this page and then seek local agencies that work with these interpreters:
Tips for working with interpreters ~
Why not use family members to interpret?
Seating Arrangement Possibilities ~
Laws & Regulations ~
An informative article by Hamerdinger and Karlin explaining how the skill level of the interpreter can impact the quality of data you receive (i.e. interference):