Interpreter Self-Care Program
One of Affordable Language Services’ Core Values is to Care Deeply. We care deeply about our interpreter team and recognize that some appointments can be very challenging for the interpreter, not from a language skills perspective, but rather from the emotional impact of the content covered in the appointment. Examples include informing a family that their young child will not survive off life support, hospice, trauma or mental health appointments. In consultation with Mental Health professionals, ALS has created this Self Care Program to avoid burnout and to provide the highest level of service.
Preparing for an Appointment:
Self-Care for appointments is one of the responsibilities of the interpreter. This includes being mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared prior to the appointment. Getting a good night’s sleep, putting aside personal issues, brushing up on needed vocabulary and arriving to the appointment 10 minutes prior to the start are all important steps that will help you do and feel your best.
Here are additional ideas to help you in your self-care preparation to enable you to better handle tough appointments:
- Eat healthy food, with regular meal breaks
- Drink plenty of water each day. As interpreting requires using your voice and mouth, you may need to drink more water than normal.
- Take time for regular exercise. Interpreting requires long periods of standing so prepare your body and feel good!
- Know your professional limitations/boundaries.
- Allow plenty of travel time between assignments to avoid rushing and stressful situations.
- Discuss challenges and ethical dilemmas with us and other interpreters.
- Set appropriate boundaries.
Training:
Self-Care training is important to handling these types of appointments. There are many on-line resources such as:
International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA: https://www.imiaweb.org/) training modules:
Building Resilience
Interpreter Self-Care
Interpreting is (not) for the Feeble
Self-Care for Medical Interpreters
Vicarious Trauma
Vicarious Trauma and Language Professionals
Vicarious Trauma & Professional Interpreters
In addition, ALS will periodically offer training in Self-Care as part of its interpreter education program.
Immediate Support:
It is important immediately after the appointment for the interpreter to engage in Self-Care. This can include debriefing with a member of your personal support group or talking with your personal spiritual leader. In addition, the ALS sales team has engaged with the major health care systems we serve for their chaplains and team members who provide similar support for their employees, to also be available for our interpreter team members! To access this resource, call Camille at 513-654-5032 or 513-746-6485 (cell).
Some ideas to help in your self-care:
- Shake it off, literally! The reptilian part of our brains (fight or flight) releases and resets by shaking. So go to a quiet, private place and shake it out from head to toe making sure to do deep exhales.
- Take deep, slow breaths counting from 1 to 10 and repeat.
- Take your emotional inventory; acknowledge what you are feeling or experiencing.
- Remember your role as the interpreter. If the content of an appointment is stressful, or goes against your personal belief system, remember you’re the medium and not the source of the message. Let go of the responsibility and leave it to the other parties involved (police, doctor, social workers).
- Be compassionate to yourself. Admit your session was tough and give yourself a treat (get a special cup of coffee, take a bubble bath….)
Counseling Resources:
If further support is needed, potential resources are:
- Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Board- https://www.hcmhrsb.org
- First Responder counselors: https://mentalhealthmatch.com/browse-therapists/ohio/cincinnati/first-responders
- Beckett Springs program for first responders
- Non-denominational faith-based counseling: https://thrivepointe.com
Other Resources:
- https://medicalinterpreterblog.com/2018/04/22/self-care-for-medical-interpreters/
- https://cit-asl.org/teaching-interpreters-about-self-care-7-1/
- https://ncihc.memberclicks.net/assets/calls/8-22-08_open_call_minutes.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323796701_Self-care_for_interpreters
- https://slator.com/coping-mechanisms-interpreters-need-for-vicarious-trauma/