Learning objectives

Attendees of this webinar will be able to:

1. Recognize when a situation is an ethical dilemma.

2. Predict potential consequences for differing responses to an ethical dilemma.

3. Defend a strategic response to an ethical dilemma using principles from an interpreter code of ethics.

#1 Ethical Dilemmas: Murphy’s Law’s Gift to Interpreters

Live session: Thursday, January 23, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Dr. Devin Gilbert

In popular culture, Murphy’s law refers to the idea that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. The world is seldom a tidy, predictable place, and this applies to the world of interpreting as well. Whether working in healthcare, the legal system, the education system, or elsewhere, interpreters are consistently faced with challenging situations that demand a responsible, professional response. These are ethical dilemmas.

This webinar will first present attendees with a review of varying examples of interpreter codes of ethics. Next, attendees will go over examples of ethical dilemmas that force interpreters to put these codes of ethics into practice. The bulk of the time spent in this webinar will be spent exploring authentic ethical dilemmas from dialogues on Terp (https://terp.app), and attendees, in real time, will mark how they would respond in an interactive survey. After recording how they would respond, attendees will predict the consequences of their decisions and defend their responses using principles from interpreter codes of ethics.

This webinar received approval for the following CEUs: 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP, and 0.1 RID CEU. Note that you must have attended the live session to receive these credits.

About the presenter: Dr. Devin Gilbert is a translation/interpreting practitioner, educator, and researcher. He teaches Spanish Translation and Interpreting as an Assistant Professor at Utah Valley University’s (UVU) Department of Languages & Cultures. His research interests include translation/interpreting pedagogy, translation process research, and translation/interpreting technology. Devin enjoys developing software for the web and is constantly trying to expand his developer skillset. In 2022, he started developing Terp, a web-based interpreting training platform that seeks to make quality, authentic interpreting practice dialogues more accessible and interactive.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how cultural influences affect communication and patient care and learn strategies to bridge cultural gaps and ensure mutual understanding.

2. Explore the balance between neutrality and advocacy and address systemic barriers and complex terminologies that hinder effective patient advocacy. 3. Analyze real-world scenarios to understand common pitfalls in medical interpreting and learn techniques to prevent and address miscommunications due to cultural and linguistic differences.

4. Establish protocols for matching interpreters to patients' specific language variants and promote an environment that ensures open communication and addresses patients' needs and preferences.

#2 Advocacy and Cultural Awareness: When Culture Deviates from What We Know

Live session: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Jorge Mejia

Healthcare interpreters often encounter challenges due to cultural differences and language barriers. This presentation will explore the crucial roles of cultural awareness and patient advocacy in ensuring effective communication and equitable healthcare. Attendees will learn how to bridge cultural gaps, support patient rights, and enhance their skills in managing miscommunications. This webinar aims to empower interpreters to be more proactive and confident in their roles, ensuring better patient outcomes and fostering an environment of mutual understanding and respect. This presentation is designed for interpreters, trainers, healthcare providers, and administrators.

This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP, and 0.1 RID CEU. Note that you must have attended the live session to receive these credits.

About the presenter: Jorge Mejia has recently assumed the role of Language Access Director at Ventura County Medical Center, where he is building a language access department from the ground up. With close to 20 years of experience in Healthcare Interpreting, including 8 years in leadership roles, Jorge brings extensive expertise in managing language access programs and addressing the unique needs of diverse patient populations. At Natividad, where he served for 9 years as a Healthcare Interpreter—spending half of that time as an Interpreter Services Supervisor—Jorge played a pivotal role in mentoring new interpreters, developing training programs, and advocating for equitable communication solutions for indigenous language speakers from Mexico. His work has consistently centered on fostering cultural sensitivity and delivering high-quality interpretation services in healthcare settings.

A Licensed Trainer for community interpreters, Jorge is a recognized speaker on best practices in healthcare interpreting and cultural awareness. He has delivered numerous presentations on topics such as trilingual healthcare interpreters and the advocacy of Indigenous language needs in healthcare. Residing in California's Central Coast, Jorge is deeply committed to bridging communication gaps in healthcare and championing inclusivity through solutions that are both culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand key communication models that can used by interpreters, and learn how they can improve your effectiveness when interpreting.

2. Recognize how context affects communication, including cultural differences, emotions, and surroundings, so you can better fulfill your scope of professional responsibility.

3. Practice flexible communication techniques to adapt your approach based on the needs of each situation, making your interpreting clearer, more empathetic, and patient-centered.

#3 Know the Context! Communication Models for Interpreters

Live session: Wednesday, March 12, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Lorena Castillo

In this workshop, participants will explore key communication models tailored to the interpreting profession, focusing on how context shapes message delivery and comprehension. We’ll explore models like the transactional and interactive frameworks, examining how these can be applied to real-world interpreting scenarios to enhance clarity, empathy, and fidelity.

Through practical examples, interpreters will gain insights into managing contextual variables—such as cultural dynamics, emotional tones, and environmental factors—that influence effective communication. This webinar equips interpreters with tools to develop flexibility and adapt their approach based on context, fostering more impactful and patient-centered interpreting encounters.

This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP, and 0.1 RID CEU. Note that you must have attended the live session to receive these credits.

About the presenter: Lorena Castillo is a servant leader in the world of language services, blending her passion for communication with over 20 years of hands-on experience as a trilingual medical interpreter. Fluent in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language—and skilled in Swahili and Italian—Lorena has dedicated her career to breaking down language barriers with empathy and transparency. As an Instructional Design Manager at AMN Healthcare, Lorena doesn’t just create training programs; she builds inclusive, value-driven learning experiences. Empowered by her belief in the power of kind, clear communication, Lorena Castillo is transforming how language services support healthcare’s mission of inclusivity, accessibility, and health equity. 

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the current state of language access policy in the United States as well as the implications for interpreters.

2. Learn how funding, data, and different advocacy groups impact language access policy and the work of interpreters

3. Consider what the future of language access policy in the U.S. may look like at the federal, state, and local levels and how near-term developments may impact the work of interpreters.

#4 Interpreters and Language Access Policy: Developments at the Federal, State and Local Levels

Live session: Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Jacob Hofstetter

Efforts to expand language access in government programs in the United States have grown in recent years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring a Q&A with an expert from the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute, this webinar will explore the current state of language access policy in the United States and its implications for interpreters. The discussion will cover the current state of language access, diving into federal requirements, state and local policies, and how these pieces fit together to influence the use of interpreters by government agencies across the country. Attendees will also learn more about how language access programs are typically funded, what advocacy groups are currently working on this issue, and how different data sources play a role in shaping the language access efforts of government programs. The webinar will then address recent developments in the United States, considering what the future may hold for language access in the current context. Following this moderated discussion, there will be ample time for attendees to pose questions.

This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP, and 0.1 RID CEU. Note that you must have attended the live session to receive these credits.

About the presenter: Jacob Hofstetter is a Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute’s National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, where he conducts research related to language access as well as educational and workforce programs for immigrant adults and youth. His work focuses on the civic, economic, and linguistic integration of immigrants and refugees in the United States. In the language access space, he analyzes the design and implementation of federal, state, and local policies that aim to expand access to government services for individuals with limited proficiency in English. In his work related to adult education and workforce development, he researches programs that promote the integration of immigrants and examines the broader policies that govern adult skills systems.

Jacob holds a master’s degree in global policy studies with a focus on immigration and refugee policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin and a BA in history from Miami University.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain why it is important to focus on sentences instead of on words.

2. Why it is important to know the mechanics of the language to do a quality job.

3. How to use AI as a teacher to polish your construction skills

4. Why it is important to detect issues in the source language in order to compensate for them

#5 Meaning-Based Interpretation: Beyond Medical Terminology

Live session: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Julio Jimenez

We, medical interpreters and translators, have the responsibility to be familiar with as much medical terminology as possible to do an effective job. However, terminology accounts for less than 5% of the information contained in the communication between doctors and patients. What about the remaining 95%? This is where things can get problematic for the patient if we allow the source of the information (oral or written) to overly influence us. What things do we need to consider to produce an idiomatic interpretation or translation, one based on the meaning and not on the structure of the message? How can we avoid translating word by word? This presentation will touch on several aspects of the source language that are a challenge for us, such as redundancies, false cognates, irregular grammar, and idiomatic expressions. It will also explain what the concept “garbage in-garbage out” is applied to translation and interpretation and why we humans to be better than the machines if we want to keep thriving in this industry.

This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 CCHI CE hour, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU, 1 ATA CEP, and 0.1 RID CEU. Note that you must have attended the live session to receive these credits.

About the presenter: Julio is a certified medical interpreter (CHI) and translator (ATA). with 25 years of experience in the fields of Linguistics, Translation and Interpretation. He has translated several published books, is an expert in morphology, syntax, and structural grammar, and has worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Spain for the Watchtower Society, the largest translation organization in the world. At present, Julio is the Translation Project Coordinator for Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.