improving the quality of mental health interpreting in victoria

Debriefing by interpreter agency staff was reported more frequently by Auslan (20%)
interpreters than AUSIT (3%) respondents. A key stakeholder has suggested that the
comparatively high proportion of Auslan interpreters obtaining agency debriefing may be
due to interpreters defusing with booking clerks or managers, who are not trained to
debrief.
Significantly, the majority of interpreters (70%) reported that they would prefer debriefing,
whether informal or more formal, with a mental health clinician and that this is initiated by
the clinician. Other informal debriefing forms were also preferred such as debriefing in a
group with other interpreters.
There were also concerns expressed around issues of ‘interpreter safety’ both whilst waiting
for an appointment to commence as well as during appointments within mental health
settings:
… On a couple of occasions I have been attacked by a patient and professionals had
not warned me beforehand to expect violent behaviour. As a result, I have become
uncomfortable when interpreting in MH environment, as you never know what you are
up against.
Interpreter practitioner.
Similarly, this interpreter draws attention to the procedures currently in place for interpreters
within some mental health settings:
The interpreter shouldn’t have any direct contact before the session with the patient. It
is very important to consider the safety of the interpreter therefore the interpreter
should be granted permission upon arrival to remain in the office and only be in
contact with patient with the presence of a professional.
Interpreter practitioner.
When I go to a Mental Health Service I’m always asked to wait in the waiting room
with other patients. I don’t feel very safe because I don’t know their conditions. I think
we should wait with the staff and not with the patients.
Interpreter practitioner.
The need to be briefed before appointments was also raised by some interpreters with a
focus on the need interpreters have to feel prepared for their appointments with regard to
both the nature of the appointment and other possible factors such as those relating to
behaviour and speech. The clinician’s behaviour and preparedness to ‘work with’ the
interpreter in situations requiring some professional consultation were also considered to be
sometimes limited. The clinician’s reluctance to allow the interpreter to use simultaneous
interpreting when a person won’t pause, was one example given.
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