Teaching Tools, Strategies, and Resources, continued

Exercise 1. Planning Language Services for Linguistically Diverse Groups, continued

Step 4. Devise a system for systematically allocating interpreters to different locations within the system or organization, tracking telephonic and face-to-face interpreting times and costs so that adjustments can be made as needed. Use itemized costs provided by telephonic interpreting companies to monitor usage patterns and costs for each language at each location or point of service.

Step 5. Assess professional development needs and preferences for both providers and dual-role staff interpreters. Create a plan and allocate resources for ongoing training and support.

Step 6. Create a quality improvement model that measures patient and provider satisfaction with services and uses such data for modification and refinement.

Instructions for faculty, trainers, and facilitators

Solutions to meet the needs of service area populations vary dramatically across locales and system or organizational characteristics. No one language services plan fits all systems or organizations. This structured activity is designed to encourage analytical thinking and creativity about optimal ways to meet the language preferences and needs of diverse patient populations in different healthcare settings.

Divide the participants into several groups. Have each group create a language plan for one of the following scenarios, keeping in mind the various ways of providing language services (i.e. telephonic, dual-role interpreters, certified interpreters, a community interpreter bank).