By Linda L. Ford
Natividad Medical Foundation’s Indigenous Interpreting+SM Sponsors Credentialed Training Program for Interpreters of Indigenous Languages
![[Indigenous Interpreting+]](https://i0.wp.com/www.ata-divisions.org/ID/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IndigLangInterpr.jpg?resize=520%2C347&ssl=1 "[Indigenous Interpreting+, a service of Natividad Medical Foundation]")
Natividad Medical Foundation’s Indigenous Interpreting+SM is thrilled to announce that 27 interpreters from three countries participated in the inaugural session of The Indigenous InterpreterTM that concluded on January 18, 2017. This 60-hour training program is the first of its kind in the U.S. to credential interpreters of indigenous languages from Mexico and Central America. Upon successful completion, graduates of the program will receive “The Indigenous Interpreter+ National Credential: Level 1 Qualification.”
Taught by experienced, professional instructors and accompanied by a 450-page Manual and a 100-page Workbook to be published in mid-2017, this groundbreaking Training program was offered free of cost for the initial session. The curriculum trains indigenous interpreters on ethics, protocols and modes – including consecutive, relay and simultaneous interpreting – in community and healthcare settings. Each module includes targeted guidance for overcoming the barriers indigenous interpreters encounter daily when interacting with providers and clients and the many service settings in which they work.
Participants overwhelmingly expressed the same sentiment about the program: “This Course has been far more that I expected and has taught me so much about the role and responsibilities of the interpreter. This experience will allow me do my job better, so I can better help the people in my community get the services they need.” This is precisely the goal of Indigenous Interpreting+, to provide the communication services needed to help underserved indigenous communities throughout the U.S. Indigenous interpreters are in great demand in U.S. hospitals, courts, schools and community services. These institutions need qualified, trained professional interpreters to serve their indigenous language-speaking clients.
Indigenous Interpreting+, a service of Natividad Medical Foundation, was created nearly three years ago thanks to an initial donation from The Agricultural Leadership Council, a group of local farm families who support the Foundation, and Driscoll’s. The program began with interpreting capabilities for three indigenous languages from Mexico and Central America and has since grown to more than 16. Indigenous Interpreting+ currently serves more than 100 organizations throughout the U.S., including health care providers, school districts, court systems and other government entities. These clients include Natividad Medical Center, the United States Attorney General, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Virginia court systems and the Stanford Health Care Network, among many others. The interpreting service has also been featured recently in the BBC podcast https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-11-04/fields-icu-how-one-hospital-training-field-workers-be-medical-interpreters.
To learn more about Indigenous Interpreting+ and its services, please visit https://www.interpretnmf.com/ or contact Judith Pacheco by email and phone at judith@natividadfoundation.org or (855) 662-5300.
Linda L. Ford, President & CEO of Indigenous Interpreting+, brings 30 years of hospital fundraising, philanthropy consulting and entrepreneurial expertise to Natividad Medical Foundation with a specialty for start-ups for philanthropic organizations.
Image kindly provided by the author