improving the quality of mental health interpreting in victoria

About this report
Improving the Quality of Mental Health Interpreting in Victoria reports the findings of the
first component of a two-phase project being undertaken by the Victorian Transcultural
Psychiatry Unit (VTPU).
The intent of the first component of the project (Research into training needs in mental
health interpreting) investigates the training and professional development activities that are
needed to prepare interpreters for work in mental health settings. On the basis of the
findings recommendations are made concerning training and professional development
programs that would improve the quality of mental health interpreting in Victoria.
The second-phase of the project develops and delivers a brief professional development
program for mental health professionals to assist them to work effectively with interpreters.
This requires the development of training material and the delivery of training sessions
within Area Mental Health Services (AMHS) across the State.
Both phases of the initiative, funded by Victorian Office of Multicultural Affairs (VOMA) and
supported by the Mental Health Branch, are aimed at improving the access to, and quality
of, mental health interpreting for Victoria’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (cald)
communities.
The objectives of the component of the project reported here are to:
● Assist in the planning and development of curriculum and training materials to prepare
interpreters for work in mental health settings.
● Contribute to current work in the area of interpreter training and workforce
development.
● Inform future initiatives on the development of mental health interpreting curriculum
and the implementation of mental health interpreter training programs to improve the
quality of interpreting in mental health services.
The methods employed included:
●
●
●
●
Review and documentation of local, Victorian, interstate, national and international
information about interpreting practices in mental health, and mental health interpreter
training.
Consultation with key stakeholders to clarify the needs of consumers, mental health
services and interpreters regarding interpreting in mental health settings.
Identification of the specific requirements and considerations of interpreting in mental
health settings.
Development of recommendations regarding the training and support needs of
interpreters working in mental health settings, including curriculum development issues.
The body of the project report consists of three sections:
Part-One: Introduction and Background considers the importance of interpreting in the
provision of mental health services, the available information on issues in interpreting in
mental health settings, and information on existing programs and training needs. This
section includes: the need for training in mental health interpreting; related mental health
2