Arianna M. Aguilar, President of Latino Outreach Consulting of NC, Inc, a translation, interpreting, and consulting agency in Smithfield, NC,  has been chosen as one of the presenters at the special 50^th Anniversary Annual Conference  of the American Translators Association, to be held in New York City on October 28-31, 2009.  Her presentation and paper “Mental Health Interpreting: Unique Challenges and Practical Solutions” will explore the medical, legal and ethical challenges that interpreters face, and present real-life case studies and solutions.

Presentation Abstract

Mental health interpreting is an important subset of study, since the issues encountered intersect with both medical and legal interpreting theory and the code of ethics. It also involves complex and intimate interpersonal communication with individuals who may act, speak, or think in unusual ways. There are laws that may even require the interpreter to break confidentiality or intervene. How can mental health interpreters face these issues successfully while maintaining impartiality in order to diminish potential emotional/ethical challenges? This presentation will explore these issues, with real-life case studies and practical solutions.