improving the quality of mental health interpreting in victoria

The training streams proposed here were discussed and refined further through
consultations following the meeting. The final summary recommendations are presented in
Part Three: Development of Training Stream Recommendations of this report.
Additional Issue:
Training of Mental Health Services Staff
Whilst the current project was not examining the training needs of mental health staff for
working with interpreters, several important findings emerged that could directly improve
training of mental health services’ staff and which in turn would improve the work
environment of interpreters in mental health settings. The following points were raised
through the project findings and should be integrated into training of mental health
services’ staff, such as that offered by the VTPU, on working effectively with interpreters.
These include:
● Educate mental health clinicians on the nature and complexity of the interpreters’ work.
● Clarification of the interpreter’s role and the role of the interpreter working within the
team.
● Increase clinician understanding of the professional and collegial role of the interpreter
in the mental health setting. Terms such as ‘using’ interpreters is indicative of
underlying assumptions about the role of the interpreter and the professional integrity of
the interpreter in the setting. As both are professionals, such terminology should not be
used.
● Mental health services and clinicians need to increase and support their awareness and
ensure provision of, briefing before an appointment with an interpreter, and provision for
debriefing after a distressing incident or appointment as appropriate. This issue was
discussed by the MHIRG and was further supported by the findings from the Interpreter
Survey 19 . Guidelines should be set out by mental health services and communicated to
interpreters and interpreter agencies regarding the perspective, of and available
provision for, briefing and debriefing of interpreters working in mental health settings.
v. Interpreter Survey Findings
Over 80% of interpreters surveyed believed that specialised training in mental health
interpreting would make a ‘significant difference’ towards preparing interpreters for
work in mental health settings.
Over 90 % expressed interest in receiving such training.
A Survey of Interpreters’ Interest and Need for Training in Mental Health Interpreting
(Appendix Four) was developed and administered to interpreters in Victoria through two
Interpreter Agency databases:
● the AUSIT Victorian Interpreter Database (which comprises approximately 300
interpreters); from which 40 faxed responses were received, and
● the VicDeaf Database (which comprises approximately 190 Auslan interpreters); of
19
Specifically, interpreters’ expressed a need and desire for debriefing, and especially preference
debriefing following a distressing appointment to be initiated by the clinician.
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