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Funds Help Provide Agencies with Interpreter Services
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2011
For more information, please contact:
Jared Schlemmer, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349.3406, schlemmj@bloomington.in.gov
Melissa Britton, Latino Programs & Outreach, City of Bloomington, 349.3860, brittonm@bloomington.in.gov
Lillian Casillas, Board President El Centro Comunal Latino, 855.1740, mlcasil@indiana.edu
Bloomington, IN -- El Centro Comunal Latino and the City of Bloomington Latino Outreach division are working together to address a lack of access to bilingual interpreters, an often overlooked civil rights issue.
A grant conferred on El Centro Comunal, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for the Latino Community, will provide funds for bilingual interpreters at both medical and social service agencies for a limited time, effective immediately. The grant will subsidize the cost of interpreting for any medical or social service provider that does not already have interpretation services. The grant allows a network of professionally trained interpreters to close the communication gap between the patron and the professional, even if the agency has not prioritized interpreter services in its budget.
According to a round-table survey of 30 local agencies performed by the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs in late 2009, agencies that cannot afford full-time bilingual staff have used untrained volunteers and interns to help with interpretation and translation needs. Melissa Britton, Latino Outreach Coordinator for the City, is hopeful these funds will be useful.
"We believe that agencies will see, after working with professionally trained interpreters, how necessary this service is to their own operations," Britton said. "Using a family member, minor or an untrained volunteer to interpret puts patients at risk and exposes agencies to serious liability. With available funds for the agencies, the change can start now."
A lack of understanding about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which obligates agencies that receive federal monies to give meaningful access to their services for limited English proficient individuals, causes many service providers to fail to find interpreters for their patients/clients.
Lillian Casillas, El Centro Comunal Board President, said that quality interpreting and cultural competence in healthcare is a vital part of medical practice.
"We don't want any more people to fall through the cracks," said Casillas. "I hope that providers will take advantage of this opportunity and contact us. We have a network of professional interpreters who are ready to serve this community."
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About the Latino Programs and Outreach Division:
The Latino Programs & Outreach division of the Community and Family Resources Department serves the rapidly growing Latino immigrant population of Bloomington. The department provides support for the Spanish speaking population and serves as a liaison for different community organizations. The Latino Programs & Outreach Division promotes diversity and cultures within the population it serves.
About El Centro Comunal Latino: El Centro Comunal Latino (CCL) is a grassroots, community-based organization that provides an accessible and safe space for all Latinos, with a focus on Spanish-speaking people, to find information, access to resources and a place to hold community events. El Centro Comunal Latino also promotes communication and understanding among service agencies and the Latino community.
November 2, 2011
For more information, please contact:
Jared Schlemmer, Communications Director, City of Bloomington, 349.3406, schlemmj@bloomington.in.gov
Melissa Britton, Latino Programs & Outreach, City of Bloomington, 349.3860, brittonm@bloomington.in.gov
Lillian Casillas, Board President El Centro Comunal Latino, 855.1740, mlcasil@indiana.edu
Bloomington, IN -- El Centro Comunal Latino and the City of Bloomington Latino Outreach division are working together to address a lack of access to bilingual interpreters, an often overlooked civil rights issue.
A grant conferred on El Centro Comunal, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for the Latino Community, will provide funds for bilingual interpreters at both medical and social service agencies for a limited time, effective immediately. The grant will subsidize the cost of interpreting for any medical or social service provider that does not already have interpretation services. The grant allows a network of professionally trained interpreters to close the communication gap between the patron and the professional, even if the agency has not prioritized interpreter services in its budget.
According to a round-table survey of 30 local agencies performed by the City of Bloomington Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs in late 2009, agencies that cannot afford full-time bilingual staff have used untrained volunteers and interns to help with interpretation and translation needs. Melissa Britton, Latino Outreach Coordinator for the City, is hopeful these funds will be useful.
"We believe that agencies will see, after working with professionally trained interpreters, how necessary this service is to their own operations," Britton said. "Using a family member, minor or an untrained volunteer to interpret puts patients at risk and exposes agencies to serious liability. With available funds for the agencies, the change can start now."
A lack of understanding about the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which obligates agencies that receive federal monies to give meaningful access to their services for limited English proficient individuals, causes many service providers to fail to find interpreters for their patients/clients.
Lillian Casillas, El Centro Comunal Board President, said that quality interpreting and cultural competence in healthcare is a vital part of medical practice.
"We don't want any more people to fall through the cracks," said Casillas. "I hope that providers will take advantage of this opportunity and contact us. We have a network of professional interpreters who are ready to serve this community."
###
About the Latino Programs and Outreach Division:
The Latino Programs & Outreach division of the Community and Family Resources Department serves the rapidly growing Latino immigrant population of Bloomington. The department provides support for the Spanish speaking population and serves as a liaison for different community organizations. The Latino Programs & Outreach Division promotes diversity and cultures within the population it serves.
About El Centro Comunal Latino: El Centro Comunal Latino (CCL) is a grassroots, community-based organization that provides an accessible and safe space for all Latinos, with a focus on Spanish-speaking people, to find information, access to resources and a place to hold community events. El Centro Comunal Latino also promotes communication and understanding among service agencies and the Latino community.