improving the quality of mental health interpreting in victoria

accessing appropriate mental health services. Among these difficulties three are
particularly relevant here.
1. There is substantial under-utilisation of interpreting services by mental health agencies
(Minas, 1991; Minas et al, 1994; Stolk, 1996; Stuart et al,1996)
2. Interpreters who assist mental health clinicians have not had specific training in the
particular skills required for mental health interpreting.
3. Most mental health clinicians have not had any training in how to work effectively with
interpreters.
The provision of high quality interpreting services as part of routine mental health practice
is both a practical necessity and an ethical responsibility (Minas, 1998).
There is a need to prepare and support interpreters for working in mental health settings,
and to ensure that clients and families with low English proficiency receive a high standard
of interpreting that facilitates their mental health treatment and care. However, there are
limited opportunities for interpreters to access specialist training to prepare them for work
in mental health settings. The present research sets out to review the current information
available on interpreter training in mental health interpreting, and the training needs and
curriculum and program development needs related to establishing such training for
interpreters in Victoria.
Background
“We strongly believe that no matter what language you speak or whatever
your cultural background, you should have the same access to government services
as every other Victorian”,
Minister Pandazopoulos, Minister Assisting the Premier on Multicultural Affairs, 2003.
The VTPU works at the interface of ethnicity, culture and mental health, embodied in
education and professional development programs, research and policy development
towards improving the quality and accessibility of mental health services to Victoria’s
immigrant and refugee communities. In addition to the training of mental health services
staff to work effectively with interpreters, the training of interpreters who will find
themselves working in mental health settings is of equal importance in improving mental
health interpreting within Victoria’s mental health settings.
i. Need for Training in Mental Health Interpreting
The following two sections are largely based on a paper by Yvonne Stolk and Diane Gabb,
entitled Professional Issues in Mental Health Interpreting, presented in October, 2004, at
the Power to the Profession Conference convened by the Australian Institute of Translators
and Interpreters (AUSIT).
The need for a specialist training program in mental health interpreting and for a procedure
that enables interpreters to receive debriefing when they have interpreted traumatic material
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