Case Study #1

Step 1

What should the interpreter do?

  1. Ask the agency for materials regarding the meeting in order to prepare sufficiently.
  2. Research the organization to be fully prepared for the job.
  3. Inform agency that a team interpreter is not needed.
  4. Ask for a team with Deaf interpreters.
  5. Set up ground rules for turn-taking during the meeting.
  6. Ask for more interpreters to be included on the team.

Step 2

What should the interpreter do?

  1. Ask the participant with low-vision to move to a seat preferred by the interpreters.
  2. Confer with key meeting members about communication logistics.
  3. Contact the agency and ask for a team of Deaf interpreters.
  4. Tell the Deaf supervisor that the interpreters cannot provide interpreting service for low-vision participants.
  5. Confer with the team interpreter and decide on how to provide the interpretation most effectively.

Step 3

What should the interpreters do? 

  1. Alert the participants as it is getting close to the end of the meeting that the interpreters may need to leave.
  2. Contact the agency to see if arrangements can be made to cover the continuation of the assignment.
  3. Wait until the time they were scheduled to end and leave the meeting.
  4. Continuing interpreting until the end of the meeting.
  5. The first interpreter should ask the second interpreter to stay longer, so the first interpreter can leave.

Case Study #2

Step 1

What should the interpreter do? 

  1. Say that there is no confidentiality because the interpreter is like a staff member in that program.
  2. Continue interpreting so the two residents can continue to bond.
  3. Report the situation to the interpreter’s supervisor at the agency.
  4. Encourage the two residents to continue chatting on their own using paper and pen to maintain the confidentiality of their conversations.
  5. Make up an excuse to be able to stop interpreting the conversation.
  6. Excuse them self and tell the conversation to the group counselor.
  7. Continue the interpretation without any further action.

Step 2

What should the interpreter do?

  1. Leave to complete the other assignments on the interpreter’s calendar without taking any action.
  2. Post on a social media site that the interpreter is having a bad day. 
  3. Call another certified interpreter friend to confide in but leave out any identifying information and ask for advice upon next actions to be taken.
  4. Cancel the next two appointments of the day saying they are sick.
  5. Call the child protective services to report the situation.
  6. Research state laws regarding mandatory reporting.
  7. De-stress by going home and confiding in their partner the incident including the identifying information for an advice upon next action to be taken.

Step 3

What should the interpreter do?

  1. Decide not to interpret there any more due to the conflict of interest.
  2. Report the alleged incident to the interpreter’s agency director.
  3. Not to do anything about reporting the incident because of the Deaf resident’s history.
  4. Offer to sit outside the isolation room with the Deaf resident if the interpreter can manage their emotions.
  5. Attend group support meetings to relieve the emotional stress from the interpreting assignment at the group home.
  6. Tell the houseparents to get the Deaf resident out of isolation.