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Qualified interpreters play a crucial role in medical settings. By facilitating communication, they help patients and providers identify and treat symptoms, and achieve health and wellness goals. The risks associated with poor communication access in medical settings can greatly impact patient health outcomes, with potential for lasting health issues and lawsuits.

The CATIE Center has developed some amazing resources for ASL interpreters to build their skills in medical interpreting. These resources are available for free through this website.  

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Build Your Career

Are you new to medical interpreting, or interested in accepting assignments in this specialty, but don’t know where to start? Go to our Build Your Career page to find tips through the Healthcare Interpreting Career Lattice.

The Healthcare Interpreting Career Lattice was developed in response to the risks  unqualified interpreters pose to deaf patients, and the lack of a pathway for ASL interpreters to develop skills in medical interpreting. It offers interpreters specific information about training, education, and experiences to prepare them for medical interpreting. It outlines:

  • The competencies needed for medical interpreting.
  • How much time may be needed to develop competencies.
  • The necessary qualifications for medical interpreting.
Self-Study

For interpreters working in medical settings, or educational settings with medical content, we offer six independent study packets, and six modules. These self study materials are all available for free online for your convenience.

Independent study packets provide structured activities in a downloadable PDF designed to be used with videos available online. The topics range from childbirth, translating legal documents encountered in healthcare settings, interpreting in the emergency room, and more. These packets also include a sample form for requesting CEUs through an RID-approved sponsor.

Body Language modules [link] are online courses designed to build foundational knowledge of anatomy and physiology, as well as introduce the structure of a routine office visit.

Image showing a desk with a few books, a lamp, and an iMac computer showing "Definition of Addiction" in white text on a blue screen.
Image showing a desk with a few books, a lamp, and an iMac computer showing "Definition of Addiction" in white text on a blue screen.
Resource Library

Build your receptive skills and practice interpreting with videos of Deaf individuals discussing their health experiences. Read articles on medical interpreting. Download annotated bibliographies and other reference materials.

Need ideas for how to use the resource library? Many interpreters work with these resources independently for their own skill development and knowledge-building. Others use them to develop their own workshop or class. Mentors use them with students and interpreters planning to branch out into medical interpreting.

Share how you use these materials on our Facebook page or the Interpreters in Healthcare RID Member Section Facebook page!

17th Annual Mental Health Interpreter Training @ Interpreter Institute

August 5th – August 9th, 2019
Troy University: Montgomery, Alabama